Aishite, Love Me
by DeuceTrick
Summary: A Shinobu and Keitaro romance fic, with a subtle twist.
1. Author's Notes

The Obligatory Disclaimer:

Love Hina is owned by Ken Akamatsu, Geneon Anime, and Tokyo TV.

I don't own any of it, which is why this is fanfiction.

A Note On Setting:

There are some purists out there who insist that if a fanfic is not written within context of events in either the manga or the anime series, then it is automatically crap. This one isn't going to please them much, either, because it's a combination of the anime and manga, using elements from both but being wholly neither. Just keep in mind that this takes place when Shinobu is almost sixteen, and it comes before anything serious happens with Naru and Keitaro.

Special Thanks:

Kei-kun, for being my patient and understanding beta reader, and also for not being afraid to tell me when I was churning out crap.

Ken Akamatsu, for creating such interesting characters and an engaging story.

My Livejournal readers, who dealt with my frequent "fanfic updates" for about a month.

On with the show.


	2. Prologue

Prologue

*******

"Look! There she is!"

Seta's van came to a dramatic, screeching stop in front of the Okinawa Air terminal. Sure enough, Shinobu was there, trying to load an enormous suitcase onto a tiny cart. She seemed very small at that moment, struggling with her luggage all by herself.

Keitaro remembered this scene from a long time ago. He saw the little girl who went up the steps to the Hinata Inn with that exact same suitcase. And now as a young woman, she was leaving with it. He wanted very much to just leap out of the car and help her. But that would've meant her being gone for good. Keitaro didn't want that.

He reached for the knob to roll down the window, but hesitated. What if this wasn't the right thing to do? Shinobu may have been shy and soft-spoken while at the Hinata Inn, but when it came down to it, she made her own decisions. She had already made her choice, and to try and stop her now would just make the parting more painful for all of them.

And who was he to try and stop this? He had promised a girl almost two decades ago that he would find her, and that they would be happy together at Tokyo U. Was he willing to just abandon that memory, forsake that old, sacred promise? And for what? He asked himself. Shinobu was very young, and her feelings were bound to change in the space of a heartbeat… What if they already had, and Keitaro was just blind?

Shinobu stumbled, dropping the suitcase. Keitaro rolled down the window without another thought. He cupped his hands to his face, calling out, "Shinobu-chan!"

She jumped in surprise, and guiltily turned around to face the source of that voice. "Urashima-sempai…?"

"Shinobu-chan…" Keitaro found himself with nothing to say, all the good speeches he had planned in his head withering away in the heat of the moment. So he just said what came to him. "You can't go!"

Was that regret in her eyes? Keitaro wondered. He could barely hear her response.

"I'm sorry, sempai… but I have to. I can't stay at the Hinata Inn any more. Tell Naru-sempai that I'm sorry for causing her so much pain. And…" She wiped her eyes, trying to kill the lump that was quickly growing in her throat. "I wish you both the best of luck. Goodbye, Urashima-sempai." She turned to leave, picking up her suitcase and hurrying to the automatic doors.

"But Shinobu…" Keitaro tightly closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. This was it. This was his future. "Shinobu! Please… I don't want you to leave!"

Shinobu turned around again, her face wreathed in sorrow. "Sempai, just let me go. Please."

"But that's just it, I *can't* let you go!" She looked away, and Keitaro got out of his car, coming up to Shinobu and holding her by the shoulders. "Shinobu-chan, don't turn away. Don't you understand that we need you?"

A bittersweet smile formed on Shinobu's lips. "I'm sure… that you could cook and clean without me, Urashima-sempai. Everything will be okay. You'll see."

Keitaro winced. "That isn't what I meant." He shook her shoulders lightly. "Look at me, Shinobu! I'm telling you that we— that I need you! I want you to be here!"

"But why?"

It was a simple question, but Keitaro could suddenly feel the weight of the world, of fate, resting on his shoulders. Shinobu continued, her voice slowly filling with a sadness that broke Keitaro's heart. "For the longest time, it's been Narusegawa-sempai, or Otohime-san. They're both very pretty girls, sempai. Pretty, and smart, and grown-up... You should look for them, they might be waiting for—"

He took her face into his hands. She looked up in surprise, and she found a tense, nervous, but determined face looking back at her.

"You're right, Shinobu-chan. Those two are very pretty, and smart, and grown-up… But the truth is… I mean…" He stopped, took a breath, and tried again. "That is, I'm trying to say that…" He tried to stop again, perhaps to try and catch his thoughts before they poured out. But he was past the point of no return now. "The truth is, I just don't love them like I love you!"

"… What?"

He was about to ask himself the same thing.

What the hell was he doing? But once he began, Keitaro couldn't stop himself. "Do you understand now? I need you because I love you, Shinobu! So please… don't leave. Stay here, with me, at the Hinata Inn. We can be happy together, make memories together! Just you and me. I promise." He took a deep breath, silently praying that the silence that followed wasn't a bad sign.

Tears began flowing before she even realized she was crying. Shinobu wondered if this was real. She prayed that this wasn't just a cruel joke or a dream, one that she would awaken from any minute now. She touched her mouth with her hand, just to make sure.

"You… love me…?"

Keitaro nodded solemnly, with an uncertain but loving smile on his face. He couldn't believe he said it himself, but there it was. He loved Shinobu, and nothing was going to keep them apart any more.

He heard the car coming before he saw it. Acting completely on instinct, Keitaro shoved Shinobu away, sending her sprawling through the automatic doors.

When the car impacted, sending it and Keitaro colliding into a bus, Shinobu was too shocked to do anything. Five minutes later, when people started getting out of their vehicles and inspecting the damage, she still didn't move. Ten minutes later, when somebody ran off to call the paramedics, and the police arrived, Shinobu still sat on the ground, frozen in place, her eyes wide in disbelief.

She knew that Keitaro was going to be okay. She knew it. He'd faced Naru's vicious blows, several times survived a fall from a rooftop, and been in more life-threatening situations than Shinobu could count. There was absolutely no way a simple car accident could kill him. There was no way something like that could take away her dear, sweet Keitaro, not when he had just confessed his love for her.

There was no way.

It was impossible.

Couldn't ever happen.

Never.

… But then why did she feel so numb?

It was twenty-three minutes later, once the paramedics pulled Keitaro's bloodied, broken body out of the wreckage, when Shinobu finally screamed.

*******

"This afternoon, at the Tokyo Airport, a severely impaired driver drove over the curb at 100 kilometers per hour, striking a college student before colliding head-on into a filled bus. There have been several serious injuries, all of which have been admitted to the ICU at Tokyo Hospital. We will keep you informed as more information arrives."

*******

"You're Urashima Haruka? You may want to sit down for this… Your nephew, Keitaro… He didn't make it. We did everything we could, but he just lost too much blood. I'm sorry, Urashima-san."

*******

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…"

*******

"It's all my fault..."

"Don't ever say that, Shinobu-chan! It was an accident. Nobody blames you."

"But if I never decided to leave the Hinata Inn, Keitaro-sempai would still be alive…"

"Shh, don't cry…"

"I can't help it! Why sempai? It's not fair! Without him, I… I can't…"

"Don't worry Shinobu-chan. Shh, just lay your head down… It's going to be okay."


	3. Quieter Times? Keitaro Makes Another Pro...

**Five Weeks Earlier…**

Even though the day's practice exam for Tokyo U was grueling, Keitaro found himself with a smile on his face. The peaceful silence at the inn, the comfortable softness of the sofa, Narusegawa sitting right next to him and sharing his exhaustion … All of these factors came together to create an uncommonly pleasant, glowing feeling of contentment. The ronin didn't question it. He simply relaxed and continued to smile. It was just so nice and quiet!

… Too quiet, Keitaro mused.

That was about when Kaolla Su burst out from the ceiling, dangling on the chandelier. Sarah was hanging onto Su's leg with her right arm, clutching various maps and giant pens with the other.

"Huh, so it leads here!" Su looked around. "Most interesting."

"Finally!" Sarah gasped. "I thought we'd never get out of that tunnel!" She promptly dropped herself, bouncing on the couch and hitting Keitaro right on the head. "Oops!"

Keitaro saw stars. His vision went around and around, trying to recover from the blow to his skull. Unfortunately, his sight cleared up just as he realized he had buried himself in Naru's breasts. It was too late to even say "gomen". He could already hear her snarl, and draw back her fist.

*******

Chapter One: Quieter Times? Keitaro Makes Another Promise

*******

As he was unceremoniously launched into the stratosphere, Keitaro's mind began dwelling on his usual thoughts while in mid-air. Why was it always Naru's bosom? Why couldn't he find himself on her shoulder, or something equally non-humiliating or incriminating? Then, Keitaro wondered whether his life at the Hinata Inn was peaceful with lots of chaotic moments, or if it was pure chaos, with only a few moments of peace to keep him from going completely insane.

As he hung from the nape of his shirt from a tall tree, Keitaro tried to look back and count all the times that he had been physically abused by that girl Narusegawa. It was as much his fault as hers, he knew. If he just didn't freak out so much every time something remotely questionable happened, none of the girls would feel justified in hitting him. But no, he was always worried about what other people thought, always scared of punishment. Such was his lot in life.

"Oi, Keitaro-kun… Naru give you another one of her special lessons?" Kitsune walked up the steps to the inn. Her ever mirthful self clucked disapprovingly, shaking her head. "Naughty boy. I'd almost say you like it when she does that."

"Er, ah…" He chuckled nervously. "What're you talking about, Kitsune-san? Can you just give me a hand, please?"

"You know, I would… but I'm just carrying so much stuff, I don't know if I could summon the strength…" She feigned an air of exhaustion, holding up her multitude of bags, full of sake and various other, more poisonous beverages.

"You want me to buy even more sake for you?" It was more statement of fact than question, but Keitaro felt like pretending that she wasn't going to use him today. "Sorry Kitsune-san, but I'm kind of short on cash…"

"Oh?" Kitsune shrugged, continuing to go up the steps. "That's a pity. Well I'll just tell Motoko to come pick you up. I'm sure once you explain what happened, she'd be more than happy to bring you down herself..." 

Motoko? "NO!" Keitaro almost squealed, images of certain—not to mention creative— doom flying through his head. "Okay, okay I'll get you some more sake! Just please, don't tell Motoko and help me down!"

"Now that's what I like to hear." Kitsune smiled, gently laying her bags down. With a swift and decisive kick to the trunk, the branch supporting Keitaro shook, then snapped, releasing its contents into a waiting Kitsune's arms. She cradled Keitaro like a baby, whispering in his ear, "Now go out there and get me my booze, lover boy…" Then she quickly dropped him, dusting her hands off and taking her bags again. "I'll expect you back soon, ne?"

"Yeah yeah…" Keitaro grumbled, slowly making his way down the steps to the market.

"Make sure it's the good kind! None of that cheap…" Kitsune said other things, but Keitaro screened her out. He already knew what kind to get her, down to the way the bar code on the label was supposed to look. Having to buy that kind of alcohol on a regular basis made Keitaro very familiar with the whole process.

That didn't stop him from feeling annoyed, though. The day started out difficultly, but damn it, it was just starting to become halfway decent before everything was shoved down his throat at once. He knew that this was just the way things were at Hinata, but at that moment he would've killed for some genuine peace. He shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked a rock as he walked… very, very slowly.

After fuming for a few minutes, Keitaro looked up at the sky. It was pretty cloudy that afternoon, and the humid air whispered a promise of rain. It wasn't very busy at the marketplace, either. People probably stayed away from the possibility of getting wet, or being caught in the cold air.

Keitaro kind of liked it. It was peaceful.

Picking up his step, he strolled down to the grocers.

*******

Keitaro held one bottle of sake, the only amount he could afford. Kitsune never specified just how much she wanted from him. As long as it was halfway decent, she probably didn't care. He usually bought two bottles, partly out of kindness, and partly because he hoped it would last long enough that she wouldn't ask him again for a while. That part of it never seemed to come true, though: Kitsune had a stomach that measured in kiloliters, and a liver that seemed nigh indestructible.

He caught a glimpse of blue hair as he made his way to the register, and stopped to look at whoever it could be. Shinobu was in the produce aisle, picking out some vegetables. In her arms was a basket with only a box of Golden Curry inside.

Keitaro smiled. Shinobu's curry was the best.

"Good afternoon, Shinobu-chan," he said.

The blue-haired girl jumped about a foot into the air in shock, almost dropping her basket and smashing the onion that was in her hand. "Sempai?? W-W-What are you doing here?" He held up the bottle of sake, and she sighed. "Again, sempai?" He nodded sadly. "You shouldn't let her use you like that… ahh I'm sorry!" She bowed, prompting him to raise an eyebrow.

"Sorry… for what, Shinobu-chan?"

"Just that I shouldn't tell you what to do… You're much older than I am, after all, and it isn't right of me to…" She stopped when she heard Keitaro chuckle. "Urashima-sempai?"

"Don't worry about it, Shinobu-chan. You're right, too; I shouldn't." He sighed. "But I am anyway. Just goes to show what people think of me, I guess."

"What do they think of you, sempai?" She asked innocently.

He slumped. "Oh, you know. Spineless, incompetent Keitaro…" Keitaro touched his chin in thought. "At least, I think that's how Narusegawa put it on one of her less forgiving days…" 

Shinobu started to say something, but hesitated. Seeing this, Keitaro pushed her on.

"What is it, Shinobu-chan?"

"That… That's wrong, Urashima-sempai…" Shinobu looked down at her feet. "You're not spineless, and I think you're a great manager!" She rolled the onion around in her hand, staring intently at the ground. "I think… I think that Narusegawa-sempai was just angry at you, and didn't mean what she said. She's usually very kind, wouldn't you agree, sempai?" Shinobu looked up after a moment, puzzled by the silence. Keitaro was smiling, but something was off about it. "Sempai? What's wrong?"

"Yeah… You're probably right." He took an onion from the pile, examining it in the florescent lights. "What do you think of this one, Shinobu? Is it a good one?" He tossed it to her, and she took it as carefully as a fine glass sculpture.

"Hai, sempai." She smiled cheerfully. "It's very nice."

"Great." He moved over to the potatoes, taking one idly and glancing at it as he had done with the onion. "But I never liked onions very much. Cutting them will always make you cry, you know…" He chuckled, chastising himself. "Well, of course you do. You cook for us every night." Keitaro turned to look at her. "So tell me, Shinobu… Have you ever cut an onion without crying?"

She looked at him in confusion. "Sure, I think so. Once or twice."

"Lucky." Keitaro sighed. "I don't think I've ever cut one without crying at least a little. I guess that's just the way onions are. Can't do much about that. But you know what, Shinobu-chan?" He didn't wait for her to respond. "I haven't had the opportunity to cut many in my life. Maybe I should've when I had the chance…" He sighed again, his gaze turning distant. "… Maybe it would have helped."

Shinobu was still incredibly confused by what he was saying, too confused to say anything in return. But one look at Keitaro's thousand-year stare told her everything she needed to know. "Sempai!" She almost shouted.

"Hm? What's wrong, Shinobu-chan?"

"I…" She met his gaze, clasping her hands together. "Please, Urashima-sempai, don't be sad! I don't know what you mean about cutting onions, but it doesn't sound very happy at all, and I don't want you to feel bad about anything if I can help it! If there's a way I could help you, please sempai, please let me know!"

Keitaro's expression was one of unhidden surprise as Shinobu said everything that was on her mind. He didn't know why he felt so shocked. It was as if he had never heard words like these before, the words of someone who was genuinely concerned for his well-being. It shocked him even more when Keitaro realized, like a heavy weight on his soul, that he really didn't remember the last time anybody else did that for him.

Shinobu stopped, realizing that perhaps she could have said that another way. Having already embarrassed herself, she opted for plan B. The change of tone was almost comical.

"Ano, I mean… Are you sad, sempai?"

That had to be wrong. Surely somebody else was there in his memories, just hidden by the passing of time. Someone else must have looked at him; someone else must have said they were scared for him. Someone else had to care like that.

But no.

It was always Shinobu. Kind-hearted, gentle Shinobu.

She was all he could remember.

"No, Shinobu-chan. I'm not sad."

"No, sempai?" Shinobu looked a little skeptical, but she didn't lose the air of concern.

"Not one bit." He smiled, ruffling her hair a little. "After all, you're here, Shinobu-chan. How could I ever be sad about that?"

Shinobu's eyes filled with tears, and she smiled.

"Shinobu-chan? Are you okay?"

She sniffled, looking down at the ground. "Hai… It's just… these onions…"

*******

"Aw, man…" Keitaro looked outside the store. "It's raining."

"Don't worry, sempai!" Shinobu took out a yellow umbrella from her backpack, opening it up and struggling with the grocery bags at the same time. Keitaro noticed this, and quickly took everything from her hands. "Ahh—sempai, isn't that too much? I could hold a bag for you!"

"Don't worry, Shinobu-chan. It's fine, really." He held the umbrella over her head. "Shall we?"

She blushed. "H… Hai…"

"Okay, let's go!" They stepped out together, into the rain.

After walking together in silence for a little while, Keitaro asked, "So how was your day at school?"

"Why do you want to know?" Shinobu asked in return. She immediately kicked herself for it, and wished that she had said something a little more demure and womanly. Keitaro would've liked that.

"Oh, no reason. I'm just curious." That was Keitaro: always kind, never taking offense at the clumsy things she said. Shinobu blushed.

"Well… I had a test today…"

"Oh? What subject?"

 "Math."

"Ah. I always liked math. Makes sense to me."

Oh no! Shinobu thought, what is he going to say if I tell him that I failed that test miserably? He might hate me, or think I'm stupid! Mou… Horrible, twisted fate!

Unfortunately, Keitaro asked the dreaded question: "So how did you do on that test?"

"I… er…" Shinobu looked down at her feet in shame. "… I failed."

"Mm." Keitaro was quiet. She panicked.

"I didn't study yesterday and I know I should've been more prepared but math is just so hard and I don't get most of it and…"

"Well then." Well then? What was that supposed to mean?! Shinobu panicked again, but held her tongue and resigned herself quietly to her fate.

"You know, you don't have to do it all alone. I could help you study, or something. And then you'll get good grades for sure." He smiled. "Ne, Shinobu-chan?"

She looked up at him, beaming so brightly that the raindrops around her seemed to glow. "Hai, sempai! Arigato!"

"So what subjects *do* you like?"

"Hmm, well…" Shinobu thought for a moment, biting her lip cutely. "I guess… Home Economics is nice, I'm pretty good with that… History is okay too."

"Ugh, history…" Keitaro groaned. "You know, I took a test on that today."

"Oh? How did you do?"

"I failed." He smiled.

"I don't understand. Is that good?"

"Nah… I'm just… glad I could share my misery, I guess?" Keitaro laughed. "I don't know."

Shinobu giggled. "Well then I'm glad too."

About a block from the Hinata Inn, both of them suddenly stopped.

"Hey, Shinobu-chan… do you hear that dripping noise?"

"Hai… what is that?"

"I don't know…" He looked at the grocery bags. "I think it's—GAH!"

The bag with the curry ingredients was filling up with rainwater thanks to the design of the umbrella, and the other one was undoubtedly dripping sake. Both looked dangerously close to tearing open at the bottom. "How the heck…" Thinking quickly, Keitaro grabbed Shinobu by the arm and began running. "Come on, Shinobu-chan! We have to save the groceries!"

Shinobu looked confused for a moment, then she nodded curtly. "Hai!"

They dashed down the sidewalk.

"Ahh, Shinobu-chan the bag's ripping!"

An onion flew out from a tear in the bag, and Shinobu expertly caught it with her free hand, stuffing it back inside.

"Nice save, Shinobu-chan!"

"A… Arigato!" She gasped when she saw another tear, and then another. "Ahhh! Hurry, sempai!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

In one sudden, fluid moment, Keitaro shoved the bags into Shinobu's arms and picked her up, grabbing the handle of the umbrella with his teeth and charging up the stairs to the Hinata Inn two at a time.

Shinobu was silent, looking up at Keitaro. His eyes blazed with determination, and he breathed heavily. She did the only thing she could think to do, making a fist with both hands.

"Urashima-sempai, fight!"

She heard him mumble "Yosh!" through the umbrella, and suddenly they went even faster.

"Fight! Fight!"

Keitaro burst through the doors of the Hinata Inn, dropping Shinobu, the umbrella, and the groceries, and collapsing in utter exhaustion. Right then, both of the grocery bags fell apart, spilling their contents onto the floor.

"We… made it…" he gasped.

"Hai, sempai…" 

It wasn't clear who started, but soon they were both laughing like little kids.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Shinobu-chan. It really helped."

"You're welcome, sempai. You're very strong!"

"Aw, well it wasn't much…"

"Oh, but it was!" She insisted. "You're incredible, Urashima-sempai!"

"Ara ara, what a mess…" Mutsumi stepped out from Naru's room, glancing at the pile of groceries and the two people sitting on the floor. Tama-chan was, as usual, perched comfortably on her head.

"Mutsumi-san?" Keitaro asked, "What're you doing here?"

"Naru-chan invited me for dinner, and I thought it might be nice for us to all get together, especially after those practice exams…" She giggled. "Oh my, Keitaro-san, I see you're being bold again!"

"What're you talking…" Keitaro paused to reflect on where his left hand was resting.  "… About. Oh."

If he didn't look, he thought, then maybe it wouldn't really be true. Maybe his hand wouldn't really be resting right on Shinobu's bottom. It was a very philosophically charged argument, he knew, and one that relied a very Buddhist or Hindu way of thinking, or perhaps Descartesian. So which was the illusion? His hand? Shinobu's bottom? Both? Was the perception dependent on Keitaro, who was touching, Shinobu, who was being touched, or Mutsumi, who was watching the entire thing with an oblivious kind of pleasantness? Questions, questions… all of which suddenly seemed unimportant as a dark shadow descended like the shroud of Death over Keitaro's figure.

"Keitaro…" The voice of a demon growled.

"I uh… this isn't…" Keitaro meekly protested, which was unfortunately—as always—in vain.

"You PERVERT!"

Naru gave him a choice uppercut to the jaw, and he went flying.

Shinobu blinked. What just happened? Where was sempai?

She shrugged, and began picking up the groceries so she could cook dinner. The sake bottle was half empty, its cork having an enormous hole poked in it.

*******

"Mmm! Smells fantastic, Shinobu-chan!"

"Arigato, Urashima-sempai. It will be done soon."

"Mind if I watch you cook?" Keitaro sat down on the kitchen stool.

"… Not at all." Shinobu blushed and stirred a little faster. She dropped her spoon into the curry when she saw out of the corner of her eye that Keitaro was holding an ice pack to his forehead. "Sempai! What happened to you??"

"Naru hit me…" Shinobu gasped. How brutal! How cruel! "… And I hit this really big rock on the way down. Left a bit of a mark." Oh.

"I'm sorry…"

"Hm?" He looked up at her. "For what, Shinobu-chan?"

"If I caused any trouble between you and Naru-sempai…"

"Oh, don't worry. It's nothing new, and it's not your fault anyway." He grimaced, rubbing the big purple bruise that raged on his head.

Shinobu smiled, and let out a little chuckle.

"What's so funny, Shinobu-chan?"

"Oh, nothing…" She picked out the spoon from the curry and washed it in the sink. "You just reminded me of something, that's all."

Keitaro prodded her on. "Go ahead. I don't mind."

"Well… You know Shichigosan, the holiday on November 15th?" Keitaro nodded. "It's also my birthday on that day. So when I was seven years old, my parents took me out to the annual Shichigosan festival, and I saw a bunch of other children my age, all wearing kimonos and holding bags of candy. And I remember thinking…" Shinobu giggled. "I remember thinking, 'Everyone in Japan is having a big birthday party for me!' I felt so special… I didn't realize until later that I was mistaken." She tasted the curry. "It's almost ready, I think… Sempai?"

Keitaro smiled. "That's a good story, Shinobu-chan. I would think that too, if everybody did that."

Shinobu sighed. "Yes, too bad it wasn't true… But I liked it while it lasted. Just like I liked today." She smiled.

"Oh, um… you're very welcome." Keitaro blushed. "Hey, how about this?" He stood up, patting Shinobu on the shoulder. "Since your birthday's in a few weeks, we can plan for it, and make a really big party for you. I think it would be fun. How does that sound, Shinobu-chan?"

"H… Hai…" Shinobu blushed again, hiding her face as best as she could with Keitaro so close. "I'd like that. Very much."

"Good. I won't forget, then." He turned around and began to walk off. "Tell me when dinner's ready, okay?"

"Hai!" Shinobu beamed.

A birthday party. For her. Shinobu sighed. And it was a promise from Keitaro. She knew how much he valued promises.

She added a little salt and pepper to the curry with a flourish, humming a happy pop song from the radio. This was going to be the best dinner Keitaro ever had. She would make sure of it.


	4. Mysterious Punk Girl! Hello Rieko Shinob...

Dawn at the Hinata Inn greeted a new face, as a young woman slowly rode up to the address on a blue Vespa scooter. She stopped, unhooked her helmet, and proceeded to walk up the steps.

Her black electric guitar was securely strapped to her back, and her torn denim and faded leather clothing was a definite contrast to the pleasant, natural atmosphere of the surrounding springs. The only remotely fancy thing on her person was a gold chain necklace, which trailed down her collar and under her shirt. Her steps were the only things making noise this early in the morning, other than the rustle of tree leaves.

She stopped close to the top, taking in a deep breath with eyes closed and arms stretched outward. She shook her head, her messy, quasi-spiked blue hair greeting the morning breeze.

"Finally…" she said, "I'm here."

*******

Chapter Two: Mysterious Punk Girl! Hello Rieko—Shinobu's Family?

*******

Motoko was wide-awake. Of course she was.

And she was practicing. The rhythmic swiping of the sword was the only noise this early in the morning, and that's the way she liked it: just her, the sword, and the empty world.

When the scraping of steps dared to intrude on the peaceful stillness, Motoko immediately snapped to attention. She unsheathed part of her blade with her thumb and whirled around to face the source of the noise, getting ready for whatever would come.

It was just a girl. In her early twenties, Motoko assumed. She looked like a punk, or some kind of rebellious character, though Motoko couldn't help but feel a sense of _déjà vu_ looking at her. Strapped onto her back was… some kind of weapon? A musical instrument? She couldn't tell from this distance, but she wasn't willing to hedge her bets. A visitor at this hour wasn't a good sign, let alone a stranger.

The punk girl's casual stride was abruptly interrupted when the warrior girl called out from the rooftop. "You there!" She pointed at the intruder. "What business do you have here this early?"

For just a moment, she looked completely shocked. Then the punk girl regained her composure, smiling brightly and bowing. "Oh, ohayo gozaimasu! Is this the Hinata Inn?"

Motoko nodded. "Yes, this is. And you are…"

"Forgive my rudeness! My name is Maehara Rieko. I was wondering if Shinobu-chan still lived here."

"Maehara…?"

She nodded. "Is she here?"

Motoko regretted her previously curt tone. If this was some important relative and she had a bad impression of the Hinata Inn… "I'm sorry, but Shinobu-chan won't be waking up for another hour at least. Would you like to wait inside?"

"Oh, no thank you, I'm fine out here." She took a closer look at Motoko. "My, aren't you a pretty girl! Practicing kendo this early in the morning… shouldn't you be getting your beauty sleep?"

Motoko blushed, half in embarrassment and half in anger. "I beg your pardon, miss, but I am the heir to the Shimeiryuu, and a warrior in training. Warriors do not have 'beauty sleep.'"

"A warrior?" Rieko seemed impressed. "Well! I'm happy to see that Shinobu-chan is staying with such interesting people. Say, would you like a match or two with me?"

"You know kendo?"

"Oh, a little here and there." The punk smiled. "So how about it?"

Motoko shrugged. This girl looked strange, but she seemed nice enough. "Sure. Let me get a practice stick."

*******

Naru awoke to the sound of heavy sparring. She recognized the noises from her earlier days living with Motoko, and it was an intense session from the sound of it.

She looked at her watch. 6:00.

Who would be sparring with Motoko this early in the morning?

Putting on a sweater, Naru stepped outside and went into the courtyard.

Motoko and Rieko were taking a quick rest, facing one another. Both were short of breath and dripping sweat.

"You're… good…" Motoko said.

"Really?" Rieko panted, "Arigato… You are definitely more skilled than I am, though."

"Ready for more?"

She smiled. "Let's go."

Their practice swords met, and then it began.

Motoko started out with a wide swipe, one that was easily countered by Rieko. The blue-haired girl took the split-second pause to launch her own array of offensive attacks. Motoko leapt back, parrying each motion with a fluid series of defensive strikes. Then she jumped into the air, preparing to attack Rieko straight on with a full body strike.

Suddenly, Motoko found herself on the floor. Rieko was kneeling over her, one hand hovering over the wooden blade and the other holding the bokken to Motoko's neck.

She recognized that technique. It was the special Falling Leaf Maneuver, a difficult defensive move that only Motoko's family knew. At least, she thought that was the case. Now she was just confused. "How did you know that move?"

Rieko stood up, helping Motoko up with her free hand. "Like I said, a little here and there."

"Excuse me," Naru stepped outside. "Motoko, is this a friend of yours?"

Motoko was silent. Rieko let her practice sword rest, and bowed. "I'm just a visitor. My name is Maehara Rieko. What is your name?"

"Narusegawa Naru…" Naru blinked. "Maehara? Are you related to Shinobu?"

"As a matter of fact, yes!" Rieko nodded enthusiastically. "Motoko-chan and I were just passing some time until Shinobu-chan woke up. Is she…?"

Shinobu chose that time to come outside, dressed in her pajamas and turtle slippers. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Ohayo minna… Who's that?"

All eyes were on the older punk girl. Ah, Motoko thought. That's why I got that feeling. Except for her taste in clothing, this girl looks almost exactly like an older version of Shinobu.

"Shinobu-chan…" Rieko smiled, running up and giving the younger girl a big hug. "Shinobu-chan, it's so good to see you!" When Shinobu failed to respond similarly, she put her down and leaned down to meet face to face. "Remember me? It's Rieko! Your cousin!"

*******

"Cousin, huh?" Haruka muttered, taking a drag from the ever-present cigarette that dangled from her lips.

"That's right, Haruka-san." Rieko took a sip of tea. "I went to both of her parents, but they said she was here. So I decided to come up here, see how she was doing, maybe spend some time with her."

The older woman nodded. "I see. She doesn't seem to remember you, though."

"Hai, that's true. It makes me a little sad that she doesn't remember me, but I understand. It's been many years… Almost a decade, really."

Haruka leaned back on the loveseat. "Well, Shinobu-chan's definitely changed since her younger days. She's less shy, for one."

"Oh, I noticed. You've been treating her very well here!"

"Eh, it's nothing." She waved the other girl off. "Most of the positive change has been thanks to my nephew. Have you met him yet?"

Rieko stayed silent, staring intently at the dregs of her tea. The awkward pause was just long enough for Haruka to wonder if she had heard her question. But then the punk girl put down her teacup and smiled sweetly. "No, I don't believe I have… But what's a guy doing in an all-girls dormitory?"

Haruka sighed, taking another calming drag of nicotine. "You know, I thought I knew in the beginning… but if you'd like to stay for dinner, I could tell you why I'm probably wrong."

"Well, if you don't mind my being here that late…"

"Don't worry about it. Besides, you'll be able to try Shinobu-chan's cooking."

"She cooks, huh?"

"Mm, quite well too." Haruka stood up. "But I think it's time to greet the welcoming party…"

She walked over to the door, ignoring Rieko's confused expression, and quickly opened the sliding door to reveal Sarah, Su, Mutsumi, and Keitaro. They apparently had their ears propped up against the door, judging by the way they fell over. Haruka smirked, crossing her arms. "I knew it."

"I saw these three here, and I thought that maybe they were playing some kind of game… Ara ara, I guess not!" Mutsumi smiled, bowed to Rieko, and excused herself politely, Tama-chan flying behind her. Sarah and Su offered no explanation; they simply walked off to do something else.

Haruka picked up Keitaro by the ear before he could scramble away, making him wince in pain. "And you, oh honorable manager?"

"I, er…"

"You know, I was just talking about you with this nice young lady, and you embarrass me by eavesdropping like a sneaky ninja. You disappoint me so much, Keitaro-kun. I think I'm going to cry." Her amused expression (about as amused as it ever got, anyway) suggested otherwise, but Keitaro decided not to point that out. He liked his face the way it was.

"I just… I heard from Narusegawa that there was somebody here related to Shinobu, and er… I wanted to wait and see when it would be best for me to walk in and introduce myself, that's all!"

"Oh, is that it? Well then." His aunt yanked him around to face Rieko, still holding on to his ear. "Rieko-san, I'd like you to meet my nephew Keitaro. He is the grand poobah of the Hinata Inn, my bundle of pride and joy, and so on."

"K… Konnichiwa…" Keitaro bowed politely, regretting that he decided to dress today in a grungy t-shirt and jeans. "You are Shinobu-chan's cousin? I can see the resemblance!"

Their eyes met, and all was still.

Rieko's expression was inscrutable. Keitaro nervously scratched the back of his head. "I mean to say, that is… you two look really alike! Very pretty, and…"

Still, she said nothing. Keitaro was beginning to worry, and the situation didn't get any better when he noticed tears brimming from the corners of Rieko's eyes. He tried again. "You're both Maeharas all right… uh-huh, definitely… eh-heheheh… I. Um."

What was he doing wrong?

He looked at Haruka, trying to beg for her help using his eyes.

Sorry kid, she seemed to reply, turning around to put away the dishes. You're on your own.

But before he could try another one of his excellent ice-breaking techniques, Rieko suddenly jumped on him, embracing him in a tight hug. Keitaro's mind immediately went into overdrive.

She's hugging me. Why is she hugging me? Ack, she's crying on my shoulder too! Why is she crying? She wouldn't be crying _and_ hugging me, not unless she was happy about something. But what would she be so happy about…?

For the briefest of moments, Keitaro wondered. It was a silly thought, one that he normally would have crushed right away, before it led to him doing something embarrassing. He thought he'd grown past this by now. But it came to him anyway, the lingering, traitorous thought: Was this Maehara Rieko the girl who he made the promise to so long ago, now come back to him? It seemed so unlikely, so downright impossible to happen now… but why else would she be this happy? There was just no other explanation for it. His hopes sprung anew from his heart like a silver wellspring, and he could no longer contain himself.

He hugged Rieko back.

They pulled away from each other slowly, reluctantly, and still remained holding each others' shoulders. Neither of them spoke for a while, but Keitaro finally broke the silence.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you!"

Rieko looked deeply into his eyes, with a smile so radiant and gorgeous that Keitaro could hardly believe it. Then she spoke, her words echoing with a sadness and longing that only the two of them could ever understand:

"Me too."

There. Keitaro finally heard it.

The voice that he had been waiting for over fifteen years to hear.

He hugged her again, this time taking care to memorize every little detail about her. He had been waiting for her for years, and she had come back! The girl from his childhood, the one who promised to go to Tokyo U with him! And now… they could finally be happy.

This was, Keitaro concluded, the happiest day of his entire life.

Haruka came out to see what all the fuss was about. Her cigarette dropped out of her mouth when she saw the biggest, happiest smile she'd ever seen shining from Keitaro's face. "Kei-kun…?"

Keitaro laughed, exulting in this profound feeling of joy he never even knew he was capable of.

"It's okay, Haruka-san… Everything is okay."

*******

"KITSUNE!"

She sat up unenthusiastically, warily putting down her copy of Horse Racing Weekly. She didn't even have time to change out of her 'comfort ensemble' of a long dress shirt and purple pantyhose. This had better be good. "Yes, Keitaro-san…?"

Keitaro burst into Kitsune's room, his mannerisms and the expression on his face verging on manic. "Where's all of your sake??"

Kitsune raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?"

The ronin giggled like a little schoolgirl, and for a moment Kitsune was genuinely creeped out. "Are you okay, Keitaro-kun?"

"Okay? Okay??" He laughed and grabbed Kitsune, spinning her around in an impromptu salsa. "Konno Mitsune, for your information, I feel great! Wonderful!" He dipped her and gave her a big kiss on the lips. "Never! Been! Bett—"

Naru gave him a solid whack on the skull with a fan. "Damn pervert…" She almost screamed when Keitaro laughed and flipped himself up barely a second after the concussive blow.

"Oh Naru… I love you so much!"

Naru dropped the fan and blushed furiously. "Kei… Keitaro…"

He smiled brightly. "You're beautiful! Don't ever change!"

She turned redder.

Kitsune dusted off her shirt and stood up, getting back on the bed and propping her feet up on a footstool. "What's got you so happy, anyway? Did you win the lottery?"

"No, even better!"

"Ha! Nothing's better than money."

"LOVE!" Both girls had to cover their ears from Keitaro's joyous exclamation, and covered them even harder once Keitaro began to croon a traditional love song.

"Has he lost it…?" Kitsune muttered to Naru, raising an eyebrow behind her Horse Racing Weekly. The other girl just smiled.

"I don't think he has. Not at all."

Naru could feel herself filling up to the brim with happiness.

Keitaro said that he loved her! Her! Narusegawa Naru, fellow ronin and Tokyo U hopeful! All those times she had abused him, all of the times she treated him like dirt, and Keitaro still loved her… She felt like she could fly. And if she did, she knew she would fly straight into Keitaro's warm, comforting arms.

Is this what it truly meant to fall in love?

Naru liked the feeling, loved it more than even expensive food or Bruce Lee films.

This feeling was new. It made her heart race and her breath catch.

"Keitaro, this is so wonderful…" She said, tears forming in her eyes.

"I know, isn't it?" He laughed. "And it's about time, too!"

Naru laughed along with him. "I know what you mean! I'm so glad!"

Keitaro stepped out of the room cheerfully. "Kitsune, bring all the booze you can possibly hold! We're going to have ourselves a party!"

Kaolla Su stepped out of her room, armed with a bushel of bananas. "Party? Yay!"

Shinobu also found herself attracted to the noise, poking her head out from the kitchen. "Party? Nani?"

Haruka leaned back in her chair and slapped her forehead, using her free hand to light another cigarette. "Party. Great."

*******

Keitaro entered the Hinata Inn late at night. The living room, where the party took place, was now devoid of people. There was nothing but empty cups and a half-empty bowl of punch to show that anything even happened before. It felt like a ghost town… as small as a ghost town could get inside a room.

Sighing, Keitaro began to slowly clean up.

As he wiped up the table using a spare napkin, he began to think about the way he had acted earlier. With even the slightest hope that he had found the girl he had promised so many years ago, Keitaro was reduced to an utter fool, one who couldn't even see what was going on around him. Looking back, it was pretty embarrassing…

"Um… Keitaro-san, what are you talking about? What promise?"Rieko seemed confused, and Keitaro chuckled good-naturedly. Looks like she had a little too much to drink.

"Don't you remember, fifteen years ago?"

"Nope. Sorry." Wait. That wasn't right.

He kept looking at Rieko, hoping for a 'just kidding!' or an 'I love you.' It was a little soon for that, he knew, but anything was better than this…

Silence.

Behind Keitaro, Narusegawa's eyes blazed red. "… KEITARO…"

Then she punched him so far into the air that it took him a full hour to walk back home. Poor Naru; he shouldn't have gotten her hopes up about him finally finding his childhood friend. She seemed so excited for him earlier in the day, and to let her down like that… he just felt stupid. Stupid and selfish.

In fact, why was he so willing to let go of Naru when faced with the opportunity to fulfill the old promise? Was Naru really that unimportant to him, in the end? He hoped not, but the way he acted today wasn't very reassuring.

"Keitaro-kun?"

Great, now he was hearing Shinobu-chan's voice in his head. Probably to make him hate himself even more…

When she called him again, Keitaro realized that it really was Shinobu. She came out from the kitchen, wearing a green party dress and holding two paper cups full of punch. When she stumbled and hiccupped, Keitaro all of a sudden could smell the pungent scent of alcohol in the punch bowl. How much did Kitsune put in there?

"Keitaro-kun..." Shinobu giggled, swaying back and forth like a leaf in the breeze. "I mean, sempai!" She laughed as if she had said the funniest joke in the world. "Wanna… do you wanna drink, sempai-kun?" She lost her balance, dropping the cups on the floor.

"Shinobu-chan!" Keitaro ran to catch her, just barely getting her waist. "How much did you have to drink?"

"Just… a little bit. Kitsune used all of the regular drinks for her punch… so I had a few. Cups. Three, four maybe." She giggled at him, touching his nose. "I was thirsty."

"And nobody noticed you?" Keitaro felt a surge of anger. How could they leave Shinobu like this?

"No sempai, no no no nobody noticed me… I just… slipped into the kitchen…" Suddenly she began sniffling, and her voice cracked. "Nobody goes there if the food's out already… and I didn't cry, I swear sempai I didn't…" Shinobu began to cry in earnest. "I didn't! Don't you believe me, sempai?"

"Shh, don't cry Shinobu-chan …" Keitaro gently picked her up, carrying her slowly to her room. Shinobu was a pretty miserable drunk, he mused. He'd met a few of those before, and so he knew what to do. "Of course I believe you."

She sniffled, looking up at him with glistening eyes. "This is just like when we were running with the groceries… Urashima-sempai, fight… I don't feel very good."

"I know. You'll be up in your room soon, and you can just sleep it off."

Shinobu settled on staying quiet after that.

Once they got to her room, Keitaro placed the girl on the floor, taking out the futon and laying it out as quickly as he could. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Shinobu was staring at him from the ground, a contented smile on her face.

"What is it, Shinobu-chan?"

She coyly looked away, her face turning even redder than it already was with the alcohol. "You're sweet, sempai…"

Keitaro smiled back. Then he remembered what happened an hour ago, and it faded immediately. He sighed. "No… I'm not."

Shinobu pouted, her hair falling over her face as she rolled onto the futon. "Why not?"

"Because…" Keitaro sat down, putting the covers over Shinobu and adjusting her pillow. "I don't think about other people. It's always my promises, my needs, what I want. Me, me, me. It's always about me, never about anyone else." He looked at the young girl sadly. "You can't really love someone who thinks of no one but themselves. People like that don't even deserve to be loved."

Shinobu sat up. Her eyes met with Keitaro's, and in them Keitaro could see Shinobu's true self with the utmost clarity: sensitive, caring, compassionate.

"Don't be sad Urashima-sempai. Remember? I hate it so much when you're sad…" She touched his face tenderly, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I'll love you, I promise. Just don't be sad any more… okay, sempai?" She kissed him on the cheek. "You won't need to worry any more, because I'll love you."

Keitaro couldn't speak.

The words were so simple, and yet…

And yet, again, he found himself unable to remember the last time anyone said anything like that to him, ever. Again, he found Shinobu to be the only one to grant him such a deep kindness. Keitaro owed Shinobu a lot.

"Why, Shinobu-chan?"

"… Why what?"

Their faces were an inch apart, but Keitaro was too absorbed in the moment to know or care. "Why would you ever love me?"

"Because, sempai…"

Shinobu came closer. Their noses were touching.

"Because I do. That's all there is. There's nothing else."

And then she kissed him.

He was being selfish again, he knew.

But in a moment of irrational clarity, Keitaro realized that in the end, someone loved him. Even if Rieko wasn't really his childhood sweetheart, even if Naru kept hating him like she always did, even if everyone else took advantage of him and disdained even to hear his name… Shinobu loved him.

It gave him hope.

And then Shinobu threw up, right into Keitaro's face.

*******

Shinobu awoke slowly. Her tongue felt lifeless, and her brain and heart seemed to have been switched, the way her head was throbbing. It took her a while to summon the willpower to move, especially since it was a Sunday. But move she did, and the first thing she did was roll over to her side to check the time.

Taped onto her Moshi Maro clock was a handwritten note. Shinobu pulled it off, and began trying to focus her bleary eyes to read what it said:

**Don't worry about breakfast ((that was crossed out)) lunch ((that was also crossed out, with a different color pen)) dinner. I'll be taking care of it, so just rest. I left some water and aspirin for you.

- Keitaro**                               __

The water and aspirin was waiting for her on a tray. There was also a lemon slice and mint leaf placed next to the aspirin, presumably to add a fancy touch.

Shinobu smiled. It was sweet.

She took the water and aspirin, choking down her gag reflex thanks to the hangover.

Sitting up to let it all settle in, Shinobu idly took a look at her clock. Her eyes widened when she saw the time.

18:00.

That, Shinobu decided, was not good.

She crawled out of her futon, ignoring the protest her body was giving. It simply wouldn't do for her to be lying around all day, no matter what the excuse was. Kitsune drank a great deal more than she did, and she never seemed to complain, or even look like she was suffering.

Shinobu stood up shakily, debating on and finally deciding against changing out of her pajamas. She didn't want to move her arms any more than she had to.

Groaning, she stumbled out of her room. She needed a bath badly.

*******

A wonderful aroma greeted her as soon as she entered the kitchen. Somebody was cooking something.

"Ohayo…" Shinobu said as she stepped in. The unpleasant croak in her voice surprised her. "I mean konbanwa."

Keitaro spun around, chopsticks in one hand and metal spatula in the other. Tied uncomfortably around his torso was a frilly white cooking apron. "Shinobu-chan, you're awake? Konbanwa."

She giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, sempai…" She pointed at his apron and smiled. Keitaro blushed, scratching his head self-consciously.

"Oh, this? It's Haruka-san's. She lent it to me so I could cook." He turned back to the frying pan. "I figured it was the least I could do, to help you out a little."

"Arigato sempai. I'm very grateful." Shinobu bowed, then opened up the pantry to get her own apron out. "Do you mind if I help you? I don't feel right just sitting here doing nothing."

Keitaro shrugged. "Sure. Did you take the aspirin?"

Shinobu nodded. "Hai." She took a look at the frying pan. "Okonomiyaki?"

"Yep." Keitaro took out the cooking oil, pouring a little on the pan. He grinned as it sizzled. "I think it's almost done, actually. Want to give it a try?" He quickly cut off a piece with his spatula, picking it up with chopsticks and gently blowing on it. "Shinobu-chan! Ahhh…"

Shinobu's breath caught, and she blushed. Slowly, shyly, she opened her mouth.

"A… Ahhh…" He popped it into her mouth, and she chewed thoughtfully. "It's good… But have you tried adding a little chili powder?"

"Wouldn't that make the okonomiyaki too spicy?"

"Not too much, just a pinch or two should do it, I think."

"All right, here's the chili powder…"

They stood there cooking for a little while, the only noise being the sizzle of the pan. Suddenly the oven bell dinged. Keitaro handed Shinobu the spatula. "It looks like the soufflé is done now."

"Soufflé?"

"Hai." He put on a pair of oven gloves, taking out the soufflé and setting it on the counter. "I figured I should start practicing making different types of cakes, just some small ones. You tell me which type you like the best, and I'll make a big one of that for your birthday."

Shinobu felt a small packet of joy erupt upon hearing him say that. "Arigato, Urashima-sempai… I didn't know you baked things."

"I actually know how to make a lot of different desserts, thanks to my family. Cooking regular food, though, that's a new experience." He put away the oven gloves and went back to standing next to Shinobu. "How's the okonomiyaki now?"

"I think it's ready." Shinobu hesitated, but only for a moment. Then she smiled, cutting off a piece and picking it up with a pair of chopsticks. "Sempai! Ahhh…"

This time it was Keitaro's turn to blush. "A… Ahhh…" She placed it into his mouth, and he cringed. "Ow, it's hot!"

Shinobu gasped. "I'm so sorry sempai! I forgot to blow on it!" She looked at him with concern. "Did you burn your tongue?"

He shook his head as he chewed. "I'm fine…" He swallowed, and looked at the younger girl. "Shinobu-chan, this…"

"…This…?"

Keitaro came closer. "This… is the best thing I've ever tasted."

"Really?"

He nodded and smiled. "An excellent dish, all thanks to you Shinobu-chan. Your skill is unparalleled." He bowed to her, and she blushed again.

"Oh, well it was nothing…"

"And she's modest, too." Keitaro chuckled.

"So, Shinobu-chan, when did you want to get to studying?"

"Nani?"

"For math."

"Oh, yes math! Well… Whenever is fine with you, sempai."

"Tomorrow night, then?"

"Hai! I can do that."

The two stood there together, at the stove, cooking together and chatting. They talked about school, about Motoko and Rieko's sparring the other day, about the types of movies they liked. Shinobu didn't know why she was being so open today. She just felt like there was something special between her and Keitaro now, like they were just two comfortable friends enjoying each other's company. She didn't know the difference between today and the day before, but it certainly was nice.

Keitaro's memory of the night before was still fresh in his mind. Seeing Shinobu so drunk, being driven to tears, didn't sit well with him at all. Did she really feel like nobody cared about her when she wasn't making food for them? That was wrong in so many ways, and yet he couldn't really contest it. The other residents were kind to Shinobu, but she always seemed a bit like the fifth wheel, staying around the girls not because they genuinely wanted her company, but because she couldn't go anywhere else.

And he remembered a couple of days ago, when he watched her cook curry. She was a little nervous, he could tell. Keitaro wasn't completely blind. But beyond that, she seemed so pleased that he had come just to talk with her. He didn't understand why. Not until the next night, when it all became clear how she really felt.

So at some point, Urashima Keitaro decided he wanted to be a bigger part of Shinobu's life. He didn't know when he came to this decision, or how he would go about it. But he would try.

For her sake, he would try.

"Shinobu-chan?

"Hai, sempai?"

"I'd like to do this more often… If it's okay with you."

"H… Hai. I would like that."

*******

Rieko stood just outside the kitchen, surreptitiously watching Keitaro and Shinobu as they obliviously talked away.

They made a cute couple.

She didn't realize that they had been so adorable together.

But now she could see it clearly.

Sighing, she turned and walked away.

She talked to Haruka-san earlier that day. The older woman had agreed to Rieko staying for a few weeks, and Rieko swore she almost broke Haruka's legendary poker face when she actually offered to pay part of the rent.

So she had a little bit of time to figure things out, and see what she could do.

But was it enough?

Rieko honestly didn't know.

But she hoped.


	5. Hinata Inn Versus the Kappa? Fight!

(Cultural Note: Extending one's little finger in Japan implies a relationship.)

All was silent in the Hinata Inn as Keitaro busily chopped green onions, and Shinobu made small balls out of ground white turnip. Today they were making soba noodles and tempura, a special meal for no other reason than that they decided to make it one.

For the past two weeks, Keitaro had been helping Shinobu out with the cooking. It was just little things here and there, nothing too impressive. Also, Shinobu liked to help out with Keitaro's dessert making. It was a new experience for her, making sweet dishes, and making them with her sempai made it all the sweeter.

Reiko walked into the room. "Hey guys, Su-chan wanted to know what was for dinner."

Shinobu looked up after placing a turnip ball on the plate. "Soba and tempura."

"Ah, great. Arigato." She left.

Everyone seemed a little on edge when Haruka announced that Rieko would be staying for a while, but once they were convinced that she wasn't a spy for the Maeharas, everything turned out fine. Shinobu, however, was still a little disturbed by her presence. She couldn't pin down why. Perhaps it was the way her gaze lingered just for a little too long on things, or that thousand-year stare she seemed to slip into every once in a while… But it unnerved her.

"Shinobu-chan!"

"Nani?… AH!" She looked down at her hands, which were now holding one massive turnip ball. "Gomen, that was careless of me." She started over.

Keitaro chuckled as he finished chopping. "Daydreaming?"

Shinobu blushed. "A… a little, yes."

"Don't worry about it. You're entitled to a little dreaming once in a while." He thought of something. "Shouldn't we have a vegetable side dish of some kind?"

"Hmm, you're right sempai. I was thinking sunomono, since I bought a cucumber yesterday."

"Okay, I'll get that out." Keitaro opened up the fridge. "… Hey, Shinobu-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Where did you say it was?"

Shinobu stood up, walking toward the fridge. "It should be on the bottom drawer."

"I don't think it's here."

She peered in, scratching her head. "That's odd… where could it be?"

*******

Chapter Three: Hinata Inn Versus the Kappa? Fight!

*******

"All gone?? All of them?"

"Mmhmm." The market owner seemed perplexed himself. "I could swear I restocked it all the other night, but they disappeared since this morning… But what kind of person would steal ten crates of cucumbers?"

Shinobu nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Heh, don't worry young lady." He chuckled good-heartedly. "They're just cucumbers, and you didn't steal them." He pointed his thumb toward Keitaro, who was idling around the sake section out of habit. "And your boyfriend is too nice for that kind of thing, though he does seem to drink often…"

"Urashima-sempai doesn't drink! He just buys sake for Kitsune-san very often…" Shinobu turned as red as a tomato. "B… Boyfriend??"

The owner raised an eyebrow. He waggled his little finger.

"?"

She emphatically shook her head.

"!"

He nodded. "You two just always come in here to buy things, so I figured… you know. My mistake, gomen." He ruffled her hair with a smile. "But I'll tell you this much, young lady: He doesn't know what he's missing." He winked and got back to work.

Keitaro and Shinobu met at the exit. "So what'd he say?"

"He doesn't know." She sighed ruefully. "I suppose we could make a different dish…"

"Hey Shinobu-chan, you're awfully red." He looked concerned, putting his hand on her forehead. "Are you coming down with something?"

"AH! It's n-nothing sempai!" Shinobu jumped away.

Keitaro seemed confused, but he shrugged. "Let's go back to the Hinata Inn, see if we can't find something else to make, ne Shinobu-chan?"

"H-hai!" She laughed nervously, following him. As they went up the steps, the shop owner's words kept coming up, over and over in Shinobu's mind:

'And your boyfriend… your boyfriend… boyfriend…' 

"Nani? What about a boyfriend?" Keitaro turned around.

Shinobu almost screamed, and jumped back in surprise. She slipped and felt herself panic as she started to fall down the stairs…

She opened her eyes.

Keitaro was holding her hand, pulling her up.

"Shinobu-chan, are you okay?"

"Sempai?"

"It's a good thing I turned around before you fell, otherwise you could have hurt yourself." He looked concerned. "But are you sick? Be honest. I could finish up the cooking for you if you need to rest."

She looked at him.

Keitaro. He was there since the beginning, always there to save her, always holding her up when her imperfections seemed too many to count.

What would she have done without him?

Shinobu smiled. "Urashima-sempai." She hugged him, giving the older student quite a shock. "I'm fine. I'm more than fine. Arigato, sempai, for everything."

"Everything…?" Keitaro was confused. What did she mean by that? The cooking? He smiled cheerfully. "Any time, Shinobu-chan. I'm more than happy to help you cook every night."

She shook her head, still buried in his chest. "Not just that…" Despite herself, Shinobu felt tears welling from her eyes. Keitaro could feel them as well, soaking through his shirt like warm rain. "… Everything. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, Shinobu-chan." Finally, he reciprocated the hug. Why not, he figured. It seemed like the right thing to do.

When he saw Naru and Mutsumi coming up the steps, however, he freaked and began talking before they even looked up.

"AhhNarusegawathisisn'twhatitlookslike—"

He slipped, tumbling backward and sending himself and Shinobu painfully onto the stone steps. "Ow… Shinobu-chan, are you okay?"

"Hai…"

Well, *this* was awkward.

Keitaro didn't even protest when he heard the familiar "You PERVERT!" and closed his eyes tightly once he saw Naru's fist winding back. 

*******

Rieko sat on the roof, watching Motoko practice.

"Why do you always come up here? Is it really just to watch me?" Motoko asked in an even tone as she continued her slashing exercises.

"Well, I figure we could talk, too, if you'd like." The blue-haired girl replied cheerfully.

"Very well, Maehara-san."

"Oh no please, just call me Rieko-san. How's school?"

"School is fine."

"Mm." She nodded. "How's day to day life?"

"It's fine as well."

"Mm." She nodded again. "How about here at the Hinata Inn? Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Life here is fine."

"Mm. Motoko-chan, do you have a boyfriend?"

Motoko stumbled mid-swing. "W-what?"

Rieko laughed. "I take it that means no." She winked. "Ever had one?"

"… No." Motoko returned to her exercises. "I have no use for a boyfriend. It would only distract me."

"Okay." They were silent for a while. "… How about Keitaro?"  
Motoko's sword flew out of her hands, and her normally light skin turned a deep shade of red. "I… I don't know what you're talking about, Rieko-san!"

Rieko stood up, wearing a Cheshire grin. "Oh come on, it's a modern Japan now, it's okay to talk about these kinds of things!" She edged closer. "So do you?"

Motoko was growing increasingly flustered, and her usually calm demeanor gave way to manic hand motions. "Do I what?"

"Like him, silly."

"No!"

"Oh, okay." Rieko turned around. The warrior girl picked up her sword and continued to practice. Honestly, the kinds of questions some people came up with… Was she just trying to get a rise out of—

"Are you sure? I can read you like a book, you know."

Motoko stumbled again, the third time in as many minutes. Grabbing Rieko by the collar, she exclaimed, "I DON'T LIKE URASHIMA!"

"Ara ara…"

Motoko froze. Naru, Mutsumi and Shinobu had come up just in time to hear her screaming the last two words of the declaration. Naru's jaw dropped, Shinobu blushed and turned away, and Mutsumi was as nebulously pleasant as always.

Rieko patted Motoko on the shoulder and winked playfully.

"Oh, I can't believe it! So then what happened?"

Motoko looked confused for a moment, but then caught on.

"Oh, er… then he… committed hara-kiri. Yes."

"What a funny story, Motoko-chan!" Rieko turned around to face the other three as Motoko silently wilted. "Hey guys, what's up? Naru, I saw you giving Keitaro another wallop into orbit. What happened this time?"

Naru began fuming and grinding her teeth. Good, Rieko thought, the distraction worked.

"I can't believe that Keitaro!" Naru made a fist. "That degenerate pervert…"

"Naru-sempai," Shinobu weakly protested, "It was an accident, really…"

"No way!" Naru exclaimed. The smaller girl squeaked and retreated. "That's the way Keitaro always acts! Him and his 'oh I'm a bumbling moron who trips on his own feet' routine, using that to grope innocent women… oooh it just makes me sick!" She punched the wall for emphasis.

"Could be that he's really just a bumbling moron." Rieko smirked.

"I wholeheartedly agree!" Motoko nodded curtly and turned her head toward the group as she continued to practice. She immediately dropped her sword and turned as white as a sheet when she saw what Mutsumi was holding. "K… K…"

"Kappa!" Mutsumi giggled, tossing the giant stuffed turtle-like creature toward Motoko, who deftly dodged the offer with a scream.

*******

Motoko stood in the corner of her room, holding her sword blindly at the ready. If it were capable of moving its face, the stuffed Kappa facing her would look extremely perplexed. "G-G-Get it away from me!" 

"Aww, but why?" Mutsumi smiled and patted it on the head. "I just got back from Tono to visit some relatives, and I thought this was perfect for you, you know, to fight that fear of turtles you have."

"So you bought me a *giant turtle*?"

"Not turtle. Kappa!" Mutsumi tossed it to Motoko, who screamed and dodged as if a missile were being launched at her. "They look like turtles, but they're really different! Look, it's even holding a little stuffed cucumber!" The older girl cooed, picking it up again and waving it in front of Motoko, who cringed and looked away. "Isn't it adorable?"

"No!"

Shinobu perked up. "Mutsumi-san, did you say cucumber?"

Mutsumi looked up, giving Motoko a moment of respite. "Why… yes, yes I did."

"Hm. I wonder." It was a little too crazy, wasn't it? Blaming Kappas for missing cucumbers.

Shinobu laughed at herself. Honestly…

"Oi!" Kitsune called out from the courtyard. "Everybody, come take a look at this!"

*******

Keitaro finally trudged up the steps. He found all of the girls clustered around something that was on the ground, and from the looks of it, it was pretty surprising. He cautiously approached. "Hey, everybody, what's going on? Narusegawa?"

Naru looked worried. "Keitaro… can you explain this?"

Keitaro looked down at the cement, and his eyes widened.

Pressed into the ground was a giant footprint. It resembled a bear's, but it seemed different somehow. "What on earth…?"

And then they all heard the terrifying cry, a deep, deafening roar that bellowed from the forest surrounding Hinata Inn and made all of the birds scatter in fear:

****

"*MIYUU*!!!"

*******

Naru raised an eyebrow. "So, what are we dealing with here? Is it really a kappa?"

Kaolla Su, dressed in military fatigues, nodded. "All evidence suggests so. Something about this is familiar, though." She pointed at an aerial map of the Hinata Inn. Pinned next to it, in the trees, was a poorly drawn Kappa with fangs. "Turtle Lady!"

"Hai!" Mutsumi raised her hand cheerfully. Tama-chan and Reiko were conspicuously absent.

"Tell us everything you know about the kappa!"

"Well…" She looked up in thought. "Let's see… They're big, they look just like turtles…" Motoko shivered behind her. "Except they have bird beaks, and their heads curve inward, because they have to have water in their heads. And they love the taste of cucumbers…"

Shinobu nodded to herself.

"That explains why all the cucumbers are missing in Hinata. But why do they have to have water in the heads? What happens if they don't?"

"Well…" Mutsumi smiled, which was a little scary considering the circumstances. "They die, of course!"

"Ah-ha!" Kitsune, also dressed in military garb, snapped her fingers. "So all we need to do is attract the kappa, and somehow spill the water that's on its head! It'll be a piece of cake!" Kaolla Su, Keitaro, and Sarah cheered.

"Ara ara… I forgot to mention, kappa are supposed to be excellent sumo wrestlers!"

The mood in the room sobered up.

Haruka took this moment to clear her throat and get everyone's attention. "So has anyone actually seen this kappa? Or are we just making plans for something that doesn't even exist, and potentially wasting our time, or even putting ourselves in danger?"

Everyone stared at her dumbly. She sighed.

"Never mind."

Keitaro picked up a flashlight. "I'll go look for it first, find out where it hides. I'll be right back!"

Shinobu stood up and followed him. "Urashima-sempai, wait for me!"

Naru looked at Shinobu, and stood up to follow her. "Shinobu-chan, don't go off with that pervert alone!"

Mutsumi looked at everyone leaving, and stood up herself. "Oh let me come too, please! I'd like to see this kappa!"

"Me too!" Kitsune stood up.

Sarah followed Kitsune. "Might as well."

Kaolla Su ran out. "Yay, adventure!"

Soon it was just Motoko and Haruka. The stillness was palpable.

"… So are you going to follow them too, Motoko-chan?"

Motoko shook her head. "I'll… guard the Inn against intruders."

"Okay, suit yourself." Haruka shrugged, stepping outside. "I'll see if I can't keep these kids from getting themselves killed…"

*******

Haruka's usually relaxed expression gave way to a little bit of amazement, though this time she held fast to her precious cigarette.

"Well, I'll be."

Before them, for lack of a better introduction, was a giant mountain of cucumbers, at least three stories tall. It was so large that Haruka wondered why they couldn't see it from the Hinata Inn in the first place, much less what sat on top of it. Perched right there, on the top of the vegetal mountain, was a giant kappa. Its yellow beak glistened with cucumber juice, and the water on its head sloshed carelessly around as it bellowed in gluttonous delight.

Kaolla seemed impressed. "I just followed the smell of cucumbers here. Looks like Kappa-kun really *did* take all of them in Hinata!"

Keitaro shrieked when he saw the kappa's massive head creaking in their direction, its gigantic black eyes focusing directly on them. "Oh no, it's noticed us!"

It popped a whole cucumber into its mouth and giggled, a gesture that would be cute if it wasn't coming from a giant reptilian monstrosity. Then, gathering more cucumbers into its hands, it leaped down from the top of the heap and landed with a gigantic crash right in front of the girls.

Kaolla narrowed her eyes, analyzing the beast with a doctor's studious glance. "Height, around three hundred centimeters. Muscular density suggests incredible strength, but little to no special reflexes. Armored shell may increase grounding power."

"Can we save the statistics for later??" Kitsune was backing away.

"I have to! Otherwise Motoko won't have a proper…" Kaolla looked around. "Oh. Where's Motoko-chan?"

"She's the only one who could fight it," Shinobu mused as she looked for a rock to throw, just in case. "What are we going to do? Do you have any machines handy?"

The tan girl sighed. "You mean like mechas? They're all under massive repairs."

Sarah hid behind a tree, loading a MolMol plasma rifle that was undoubtedly given to her by Kaolla earlier. "Let's just get this over with!"

"Plasma rifles won't work."

"Huh? How do you know?"

Kaolla paused to reflect. "… I don't remember, actually…"

"You're kidding, right?" Naru held her ground, standing in front of everyone as if her two arms alone could protect everyone around her. "Tell me we have a Plan B!"

"Okay! Umm…" Kaolla Su looked around, using her working knowledge of human kinetics to calculate who had the best odds.

Shinobu and Sarah would snap like twigs, and things didn't look much more positive for Su herself. Kitsune didn't appear to have enough upper body strength. Mutsumi could faint in the middle of the match, which would be disastrous. And Naru could take it on, certainly… but according to the figures Kaolla had in her head, she was just a little too short to have the proper leverage.

Keitaro? She glanced at the ronin.

No, that was silly. Of course not.

But that left…

"No."

Kaolla grinned. "Height, one hundred and sixty-nine centimeters. Upper body strength looks sufficient, previous martial experience a positive sign."

"I'm not one of your experiments, Su-chan."

"You're the only one who can. I'm sure of it."

"You're out of your mind."

Keitaro tried to look encouraging. "If Kaolla says you can, I'm sure that means something…"

Kitsune raised her fist. "You can beat it! I know you can!"

Sarah cheered. "Come on! What's the worst that could happen?"

"I don't know if this is a good idea…" Naru, the sole voice of reason, said.

"Please!" Shinobu finally pleaded, her hands clasped in front of her, "Please, save the cucumbers, Urashima-sama!"

The matriarch of the Hinata Inn took a deep puff from her cigarette, and exhaled.

She knew it was going to be another one of _these_ days.

"Call me Haruka-san."

*******

Mutsumi nodded to Haruka. "Haruka-san, are you ready?"

The older woman nodded back, securing her bullwhip to her apron. "Hai."

Kaolla Su sat behind a boulder. "You know the plan?"

"Absolutely."

Keitaro gave a thumbs up. "Ganbatte (Do your best)!"

She smirked. "Don't worry about that."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I think she likes this…"

"Quiet, you."

The kappa had been mindlessly consuming until this moment, confident that the little pink fleshy things standing in front of him would not intrude on his pleasure. The creature considered eating them, but they seemed rather unappetizing. Too soft, too much long flowing hair, and those strange limbs they walked on seemed too smooth to truly enjoy. Where were the bumps and the rough greenness, the marks of truly good eating? They even had soft, mushy outgrowths on the front! Disgusting.

He crunched on another delicious specimen, shuddering at the excellent quality and finely crafted flavor. It wasn't too crunchy, didn't release too much juice, and was just sweet enough to tingle the tongue. Truly, an excellent cucumber!

He bellowed his approval.

"Oi, Kappa-kun!"

It looked up in annoyance. One of the fleshy things, the tallest female one, was speaking.

"What the hell do you want, fleshy thing? Can't you see I'm enjoying my meal?" The kappa growled, though it came out more like "*Miiiyyuuuu*…"

"You've stolen cucumbers, not just from Hinata Inn, but from the entire city." Haruka assumed a defensive stance. "And for that, you will be punished."

"*Miiiyyuuu*!" 

"Are you afraid?"

"*Miiiyyuuu*!" The kappa stood to its full height, and gave a battle cry that shook the trees and made the birds fly away in panic.

Haruka ground her feet into the dirt as the creature charged.

"All right, Kappa-kun… Let's dance."

They impacted, their hands immediately locked and their feet slowly sinking into the ground, as both applied immense pressure to the opposition. The struggle was intense, with neither side giving out. Just as the kappa seemed to have the upper hand, Haruka would grunt and suddenly gain a second wind, shoving the beast back to its place. And just as Haruka seemed close to victory, the Kappa would attempt a tripping maneuver, throwing the woman off balance.

"This is really close!" Kaolla commented.

Kitsune took out a 1000-yen note. "My bet's on the turtle."

"It's not a turtle!" Mutsumi protested half-heartedly, her eyes fixed on the match.

Shinobu looked as if she were in prayer, but her eyes were wide open and serious. "Haruka-san… Fight!"

Finally, the kappa picked Haruka up by the arms and flung her like a discus. Everyone present gasped in shock… which turned into one of awe when Haruka landed on her feet, crouched down in a feline posture. Keitaro voiced everyone's thoughts when he said breathlessly, "Wow."

"Cheater." Haruka muttered, sweat dripping from her brow. She unhooked her bullwhip.

The kappa charged again, letting out another ear-splitting bellow. The fleshy thing may have survived that throw, but there was no way it could resist being crushed. This was going to be an easy fight.

When it came just close enough, Haruka unleashed the whip with her right hand, dramatically snapping it back before letting loose with her patented strike.

"Eat this!"

The tip of the bullwhip lashed against the kappa's head, making it recoil in pain.

Haruka leaped into the air, striking the kappa's head with a flying kick, then using the momentum to make a midair backflip. She landed as gracefully as a cherry blossom, as the water flowed from the kappa's bowed head.

Haruka stood up, dusting herself off calmly and winding up her whip.

"Haruka-san!" Keitaro exclaimed, "That was amazing!"

Naru, Kitsune, and Sarah just nodded in stunned agreement.

Taking out a cigarette and a lighter, Haruka nonchalantly lit one cigarette and took a relaxed puff, letting out a sigh of contentment. She shrugged.

"That was interesting."

"Ara ara…" Mutsumi looked at the unconscious kappa. "There seem to be sparks of some kind…"

Everyone turned around. Indeed, what was left of the beast was beginning to light up like a Christmas tree. Kaolla Su snapped her fingers. "Now I remember where he's from! He's a prototype of Mecha-Tama!"

Everyone facefaulted.

"Why didn't you remember this before?!" Naru exclaimed.

She shrugged. "It was so long ago, I assumed that it would have self-destructed by now… But no, I guess the coolant in its head really never spilled in all this time! Isn't that incredible?"

Kitsune caught that last phrase, and hesitantly pointed at the fallen kappa. "So… you're saying that once the water spills…"

The end of the sentence was finished in everyone else's mind.

They all remembered what happened with Mecha-Tama.

Everyone scrambled to get as far away from the vicinity as possible.

"Why is it always an explosion?" Naru complained, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

"I don't know! Ask the mad scientist!" Keitaro replied. He took a glance back, to see how close the kappa was to boiling over. What he saw instead made him stop dead in his tracks.

Shinobu was lying on the ground, unconscious. She was only a few feet away from the kappa. There was no way she could survive the explosion, but… if he went back to try and save her, both of them could die horribly.

There was no time.

Naru stopped, looking behind her. "Keitaro! Keitaro, baka, why are you running back??…" Her eyes widened. "Oh my god, Shinobu-chan!"

At that, everyone else came to a full stop, looking on in uncertain horror as the kappa began to glow in the distance.

*******

Keitaro ran. He ran faster than he could remember ever having run in his life, the adrenaline burning like a wildfire through his body. He ignored the branches scratching his face, and jumped clear over a boulder that seemed to have come out of nowhere. He was almost there.

Shinobu was important to him. The earnestness and sincerity in her eyes, the way she glowed whenever she was pleased with something, even the way she blushed whenever someone complimented her… Keitaro couldn't lose that. Without her, he didn't know what life would be like, and he firmly decided that he didn't want to know.

He had to save Shinobu.

Even if it meant losing his own life, he had to save her.

"Shinobu-chan!!!"

Keitaro made a flying leap at the final stretch, grabbing Shinobu tightly and turning his back against the steadily increasing light and heat of the kappa.

Everyone covered their eyes when the kappa finally exploded in a massive orb of plasma.

"Keitaro…" Naru could see an outline in the smoke. She began to hyperventilate, hundreds of horrible injuries and causes of death running through her mind in a single instant. She ran. "KEITARO!" The girls all sprung out of the forest, following Naru's lead.

"Keitaro!" she screamed. "Keitaro, if you're dead, I'll… I'll kill you!" Naru finally reached ground zero, panting and lightheaded. She grabbed the still body and began shaking it violently. "Keitaro! Answer me!"

"… I…"

Naru's eyes widened, tears threatening to let go. "Keitaro…"

"… Itae (Ow)." The ronin sat up gently, his burnt clothes crackling and smoking. "Oh. That hurt."

"Kei-kun, you're not dead!" Kaolla cheered.

"You really are immortal, aren't you?" Haruka muttered, hints of a relieved smile behind her cigarette.

"Ara ara, that was very brave, Keitaro-kun!" Mutsumi praised him, patting him gently on the back.

Naru was silent.

Keitaro suddenly stood up. "Shinobu-chan! Is she…"

Just then, the mound of dirt and clothes under him coughed weakly. "Ano… where am I?"

Keitaro smiled. "Shinobu-chan, you're alive!" He knelt down and hugged her tightly. "Thank god!"

Shinobu blushed. "S… Sempai…"

"What happened, Shinobu?" he asked. "You were unconscious when I got to you."

"I don't know." She rubbed her head gingerly. "I felt something hit me on the back of the head just when Haruka finished the fight."

"Hit you on the…?"

Just then, Keitaro's clothes, which had been reduced to ash by the plasma blast, blew away in the wind.

Shinobu's breath caught, her face turning bright red. "Sempai! Your… your…"

"Huh?" He looked down, gasped and almost by reflex stammered, "Oh noNarusegawaWAIT!"

"To think I worried over YOU!" Naru gave him a sound uppercut to the jaw. "Sicko."

*******

Rieko sat in her room on the floor, silently tuning her guitar.

She nodded at Tama-chan, who was sitting across from her.

"It's been quite a day, hasn't it?"

"Miyu!"

"Hey, I had my reasons!" she protested. Rieko glanced at the small dent in the guitar's base and pouted. "Didn't realize it took so much force just to knock somebody out…"

"Miyu!"

"Of course I knew Keitaro would save her. I'm not heartless."

"Miyu!"

"Yeah, what about Motoko? I can handle her."

"Miyu!"

She sighed. "You're right… I don't like playing with her mind. But I need to keep her distracted, otherwise everything's going to fall apart."

"Miyu!"

"Because, things just need to change."

"Miyu!"

"What do I mean?" Rieko smiled, playing a single minor chord. "Sorry, Tama-chan. That's a secret."

Rieko froze when she felt the cool fog billowing in through her window. She turned around, warily looking outside as she heard bells. Standing just outside her window were two of the town elders, mysterious and inscrutable as they always seemed to be. "Yes?"

"She seeks to change her life."

"To change her life by meddling in others'."

The two old men nodded.

Rieko frowned. "Things are going well so far, okay? Save your commentary."

"We helped her."

"Yes, but now will she help herself?"

"Does she want to?"

"I don't know."

They disappeared, the mist and sound of bells fading away within moments.

Tama-chan looked at Rieko worriedly. Rieko slowly reached under her shirt, pulling out the rest of her gold chain necklace. She opened up the gold locket on the end and stared at it for a long time, her eyes wreathed in uncertainty. When she spoke next, her voice suddenly became very quiet, and very familiar.

"So tell me, Tama-chan… What do you think is worth fighting for?"

She strummed her guitar in frustration. A discordant note issued from the instrument, echoing like the ghosts of the past down the halls of the Hinata Inn.


	6. It's A Date! Naru and Rieko Big Showdown...

Rieko sat on the roof. A tiny amp was plugged in, and she was playing on her guitar.

The song was a sad one. But all good love songs were like that, weren't they?

Even if they sounded happy to begin with, they ended up being depressing, one way or another. She liked it that way; it seemed more real.

Softly humming the tune as she played, Rieko stared up at the moon, letting its brilliant cerulean light shine on her face. She smiled. But like the song, it was tinged with sadness.

Soon it would all come to an end, she knew.

Soon Rieko's job would be over.

But she would never be able to go back home. Not after today.

The point of no return was fast approaching, and here she was, sitting idly on the roof and playing music as if she hadn't a care in the world.

Yes, she was scared. Who wouldn't be?

But she had no better alternative.

With a final movement of her hand, she finished the song.

The rest was silence.

*******

Chapter 4: It's a Date! Rieko and Naru Big Showdown!

*******

It was half past midnight, and the Hinata Inn was asleep.

For once, there was no party, no insanity keeping everyone awake on some kind of adventure. Everyone in the house found themselves touched by the spirit of slumber, and they were all too happy to oblige. And now there was only the moonlight, the soft rustle of the wind through the trees, and the calm stillness that only the nighttime could bring.

But Keitaro was wide-awake. He was staring out the window, and there was quite a view out there tonight: the moon and the stars had all come out to play, and their silvery light played along every surface, infusing the room with a special luminous magic. But he didn't notice.

Why would he? Keitaro had too many things on his mind.

He loved Naru. That was without question.

Or was it?

Keitaro thought long and hard, and concluded with frustration that he didn't really know the answer. He thought he loved Naru. But if that was true, then what was this new feeling that stirred in his heart? The way the young ronin always pictured love was as some kind of sacred bond, a communion between two souls that was supreme. Love was the most meaningful force in the world, and a promise of love was just the kind of magic that fueled Keitaro's entire life.

The promise girl. There was only one.

He couldn't love two people like that.

He chuckled. Sometimes he felt so childish.

The Hinata house had a way of removing its inhabitants from the harshness of reality. The real world didn't revolve around promises and fate, it seemed. It could certainly care less about what two children promised each other in a sandbox, long ago.

But where did that leave Keitaro? Was he left with nothing? Were his convictions and passions wasted on an immature fantasy, a game he never stopped playing while everyone else moved on to greater things?

That was a depressing thought.

But Keitaro wondered. If it really was all some kind of illusion… could he bring himself back to the real world, and still find something resembling happiness?

Was he capable of redeeming himself, so far into everything?

"I don't know." He said to the sky.

"Don't know what?"

Keitaro nearly jumped out of his skin. "Seta-san!… Where did you come from??"

"Just got back from an expedition in the Philippines. I figured you guys would be up having another party, or something." The older man shrugged. "Are you the only one awake? I can come back at another time if this is inconvenient."

"No, it's fine." Keitaro sighed. "I could use some company anyway."

"Ah. Then let's spend the night alone together, as men."

"Uh… what?" Sometimes that man said things in the strangest way.

The professor produced a bottle of sake from his coat, and two glasses. "Care for a drink?"

Keitaro shrugged, taking a glass and watching as Seta filled it up. "Arigato, Seta-san."

"So how're you doing? Have I missed much?"

"Hmm… Well last week, all the cucumbers in Hinata were stolen by this big thing that we thought was a kappa. But it ended up just being another one of Su-chan's crazy machines."

"I see." Seta was already only half-paying attention, producing a fossil from his pocket and examining it closely.

"Haruka-san took care of that pretty well, though."

His interest came back. "Oh?"

"She wrestled it, and used a bullwhip of all things. I didn't realize Aunt Haruka was so… acrobatic."

Seta chuckled, his eyes lighting up warmly. "That's her, all right. Remind me to tell you one of these days how she handled a bunch of Illuminati agents in the ruins of an Atlantean temple. It was pretty incredible…"

Keitaro blinked. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. Just dwelling on the good old days."

"Mm…" Keitaro hesitated. "… Seta-san?"

"Yes?"

"Could I ask you for some advice?"

"Sure. Shoot." Seta sat down on the floor, taking another glass of sake.

"Well, you see… I have this friend. And he's been in love with this girl for a long time, or at least he thought he was. He's pretty sure that they promised themselves to each other when they were kids, too." He took a sip. "But lately he's been spending a lot of time with this other girl. And my friend's a little disturbed now, because the other girl is kind of…" he paused, wondering how to put it. "She's pretty young, in comparison."

Seta nodded. "Jailbait?"

"Yeah, basically. But my friend thinks that maybe…" Keitaro took a deep breath. "… Maybe he's in love with her. So I was wondering, what should my friend do about his feelings? He doesn't want to betray his promise to the first girl, and it seems a little wrong to pursue anything with this new person."

"What's wrong about it?" Seta shrugged. "It doesn't matter who came first. You love who you love." He gulped down another glass of sake. "I guess it is hard to deal with, falling in love with someone other than who you intended. I don't think I really expected to fall in love with Haruka. But I did, and now I just have to deal with it. That's the best advice I think I can give you." He laughed, more for himself than anything. "Don't worry, Keitaro-kun. Shinobu-chan's a nice girl, and you're not married to Naru-chan or anything."

Keitaro did a spit-take. "Wh-Wh-Who said I was talking about Shinobu-chan?" He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

Seta stared at him blankly. "Hm. I thought you did. Oh well."

He snapped his fingers. "Here's an idea. How about you take her out on a date, see if you really like her that way?"

Keitaro groaned, forgetting completely that he was supposed to be talking in secret code. "I did that before. Took her to an amusement park… she ended up getting drunk and taking me to a love hotel."

"… Oh." Seta continued. "A regular night on the town sounds like a good idea, though. Go to a nice place, see a romantic movie... You know, that kind of thing. I think she's old enough to appreciate an old-fashioned date. None of this fancy kid business with amusement parks and love hotels."

Keitaro sweatdropped. Since when was a love hotel kid business?

Seta raised his glass. "So, let's have a toast! To…" He thought for a moment. "… Love. Yeah, that's good enough. To love… and Molmolian pottery fragments!"

Keitaro couldn't help but smile. Good old Seta. "To pottery fragments."

They tapped their cups together, and took a deep drink.

"Huh!" Seta said, his face split in a pleasant smile. "You know, Keitaro, you really can hold your liquor very—"

He passed out mid-sentence, his head making a dull 'thunk' as it hit the floor.

Keitaro blinked. "… Seta-san?"

He shook his mentor by the shoulder, with no response 

That was rather sudden.

He was snoring, though, so at least he wasn't dead.

Getting out a blanket from the closet, Keitaro placed it over Seta's sleeping form.

"Good night, Seta-san. Thanks for the advice."

*******

Shinobu had her math book open, but she couldn't keep her thoughts straight. Sitting next to her was Keitaro, deep in some history book. They were in his room together, having a joint study session, as they tended to do almost every afternoon these days.

When did that start?

Right, she remembered. The day she bumped into Keitaro while shopping for groceries.

She could recall how depressed he seemed, a sharp contrast to his usual attitude. It wasn't that Keitaro was never sad. Shinobu had seen her fair share of Keitaro's absolutely miserable days, when he would cry out about how unfair life was.

"What's so funny, Shinobu-chan?"

She jumped, startled. "H-Hai!"

"You're giggling."

"Oh, oh no, it's nothing."

He shrugged, going back to his history book.

Those days were pretty funny, looking back on them. Even as he wallowed in his misery, Keitaro had a way of going about it that was really amusing and lighthearted. But that day at the supermarket, he just seemed so… different. There was no extreme, no passionate declarations. He just seemed tired of everything, tired of even opening his mouth to express his exhaustion.

He looked defeated.

But then Shinobu protested. She was embarrassed at the time, acting so seriously, as if the fate of the world depended on Keitaro's mood. For her, in many ways it did. But the way he reacted to her outburst was so unexpected. Shinobu could see a spark reigniting in his soul. When the light reentered his eyes, he was looking straight at her, letting his luminescence shine on her in a moment of brilliant happiness.

His light was like the sun.

Did she really do that? Was she capable of giving such life to Keitaro? And if so… could she do it again?

But there was Naru.

Of course. She was the girl Keitaro chased, the girl Keitaro constantly fawned over and doted on. It was always Narusegawa, Naru-chan. She was the onion Keitaro mentioned in the supermarket. She was the one who made him cry whenever he tried to open her up and see what was inside. And despite all this, it seemed that he still loved her.

But Naru snuffed out his light, and left him empty. Shinobu kindled it anew.

That had to mean something, didn't it?

Of course it meant something. Keitaro was her sempai.

And Shinobu loved him.

"Shinobu-chan?"

She jumped again. "H-Hai!"

Keitaro smiled gently. "Your eyes glazed over."

Shinobu blushed. "They did…?"

He nodded. "Afraid so. You don't look like you're in the mood to study."

"Not…" she averted her eyes. "Not really, no. I'm sorry."

"All right, then let's stop. We're a little ahead anyway, and I actually wanted to talk with you about something."

"You did?"

"Uh, yeah…" Keitaro looked away, scratching his head and smiling. She could recognize now whenever he was nervous about something. He always scratched his head and looked away, trying to look nonchalant. It was cute.

"Sempai?"                                                        

"Nani, Shinobu-chan?"

She edged next to him, a rare moment of boldness welling up in her soul. Her eyes were determined, a strange contrast to the deep red blush on her cheeks. She took a silent breath as she hesitantly, tenderly put her head on Keitaro's shoulder. Shinobu felt him intake a sharp breath, and wondered if she had scared him already.

Trembling ever so slightly, Shinobu said softly,

"It's okay…You can tell me anything, sempai."

They were silent. Shinobu wondered again if she had made a mistake in being so forward. What if he didn't like her any more, now that she had acted so unfeminine and direct? She had never done anything like this before, so she wasn't sure.

She felt Keitaro take her hand, and she looked up in surprise. He didn't seem angry, but he also didn't seem very happy, either. She couldn't tell what it was.

"Come on, Shinobu-chan," he said, standing up, with her hand still in his. "Let's go somewhere."

Shinobu's mind was going a thousand places at once.

But it all coalesced into a single response:

"Hai."

*******

Naru wasn't feeling very well.

It wasn't because she was sick, or anything. No, there was something else that was bothering her, but it was something she couldn't put her finger on. It drove her insane.

So, in true Naru fashion, she was beating the crap out of a standing target.

"You should relax," Motoko said. She was meditating, a bowl of incense burning steadily in front of her.

"Gomen, Motoko-chan," Naru replied, swipe after vicious swipe impacting on the wooden frame. "Am I distracting you?"

"No. I can ignore it if I must." The slightest hint of an amused smile appeared on her face. "But you're going to destroy my equipment if you keep trying to kill it like that. It isn't cheap, you know."

"… Hai." Naru lowered her bokken, wiping her brow. The frame creaked miserably to a stop.

"So."

"Hm?"

"Go ahead." Motoko took a sip from a cup of tea that seemingly appeared from nowhere.

"What do you mean?" Naru took a seat on the floor.

"You only come here and abuse my training equipment when something's bothering you. So go ahead and vent."

"Oh." Naru smiled. Motoko had more insight than she let on. "See, that's the problem. I can't figure it out."

"You can't, or you don't want to see it?"

"Since when were you a Zen master, Motoko-chan?"

Motoko shrugged. "It helps the plot along, okay?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Naru sighed. "I guess it just feels weird right now, that's all. It's like my normal routine's been shaken up, and I can't see where it all started to get so confusing and foreign."

Motoko nodded. "Perhaps when Maehara-san arrived."

"Rieko-san?" Naru shook her head. "I don't think so. I don't really like having her around all the time, but I don't think she's the reason why I feel so out of place."

"Ah, so you don't like her very much either."

"Hm?"

Motoko paused, considering her words. "Something about Maehara-san is a little suspicious, that's all."

Naru's curiosity was piqued, but she decided not to press the issue. Motoko looked like she was deep in one of her cryptic moods. "So if it's not Rieko-san, then what could it be? I don't think anything else has changed…" She snapped her fingers. "Shinobu-chan."

"Shinobu-chan?" Motoko raised an eyebrow. "What about Shinobu-chan?"

Naru made a fist. "I don't know, but I just realized that it has to do with her somehow. It's like something's different about her…" She snapped her fingers again. "No, it's Keitaro!"

"Urashima?"

"Yeah, it has to be him! Nobody else could affect me like this…" She quickly backpedaled. "Not to say that I feel anything for that sick pervert, but this has to do with him somehow… him and Shinobu…"

"Maybe both of them together."

Motoko realized what she just said.

Naru and Motoko looked at one another.

They ran out of Motoko's room.

"That sick degenerate Urashima…" Motoko unsheathed her blade.

"Corrupting poor Shinobu-chan…" Naru tightened her grip on the bokken, giving it a few practice stabs.

"Oi, you guys," Kitsune poked her head out of her room. "What's going on?"

"We're going to kill a pervert!" Naru snarled.

"Oh." She followed them. "This should be interesting."

"Keitaro!" Naru bellowed, throwing the door to his room wide open.

Save for a couple of open textbooks, it was completely empty.

"Keitaro…?"

Kitsune inspected the closet, finding nothing. Then she knocked on the wall. "Sarah-chan?"

"Nani?" came the muffled reply.

"Is there anyone else there besides Su-chan?"

"Nope!"

"Ah. Arigato." She turned to Naru and Motoko. "They're not here."

Motoko rubbed her chin in thought. "I wonder where they could have gone…"

Just then, Haruka passed by. "Ah, girls. Konbanwa."

"Konbanwa, Haruka-san…" Motoko greeted her. "Did you decide to close the tea shop early tonight?"

"Don't worry, Kentaro-kun's watching the place for a while." She lit a cigarette. "Keitaro-kun and Shinobu-chan said they were going somewhere, and they asked if I could cook for tonight."

The air seemed to freeze in the room. Haruka raised an eyebrow, drawing in some nicotine in anticipation. "… Did I miss something?"

Naru ground her teeth, barely resisting the urge to punch a hole through the wall. "Keitaro…"

"How could you let Urashima leave with her?" Motoko asked Haruka incredulously.

"This isn't a prison, Motoko-chan. They can go where they want."

Naru was slowly losing the internal battle with her rage. Her nails clawed deeply into the doorway. "K… Keitaro…"

"Did they tell you where they were going?" Kitsune inquired.

"That one French-themed restaurant downtown. Belle De La Belle, or something like that."

"Ooh, I heard that's fancy!" she squealed. "I wonder what they could be doing there—"

"KEITARO!!!" Naru yelled, pounding through the Hinata Inn like a woman possessed, still holding her bokken as she grabbed her coat.

"Wait, Naru-chan!" Motoko protested. "I'm coming along. You're not yourself…"

"No." The chill in her voice was like a glacier, stopping the warrior girl dead in her tracks. "I'm going to find him, and I'm going to KILL HIM myself!"

She ran down the stairs and out the door, leaving a thoroughly worried Motoko.

Kitsune, sensing an opportunity, made her way for the back door.

"I'll be out… er, buying sake… if you need me."

Motoko nodded. "All right. Tell us what happens with those three."

"Damn, figured me out already..." She grinned a cat-like grin. "I'll be right back."

"This isn't going to end well." Haruka muttered.

*******

Kitsune ran.

People accused her of being a lazy, good-for-nothing bum who couldn't run to save her life. And most of the time, they'd be absolutely right. She just didn't see the point to exerting herself more than she had to.

But now, fueled with the rush of manic excitement, Kitsune was sprinting with hardly a troubled breath, bounding from block to block with the predatory grace and speed of her namesake.

Things were becoming quite interesting.

Who would have thought? Keitaro and Shinobu… Shinobu was always fawning over the ronin, which was obvious. But the fact that he reciprocated was eyebrow raising. In fact, it was downright fishy. Kitsune intended to get to the bottom of the issue, and find out if her love instincts were right on the money.

She suddenly noted with some suspicion that the ground below her was a little too… loose. Kitsune jumped away just as the floor gave way to a small mud pit. Had her reflexes been just a little too slow, she would have fallen in and have a hell of a time trying to pull herself out from the sludge.

What was this? In the middle of a sidewalk, no less!

Kitsune shrugged and continued on her way. It was probably construction.

No sooner had she taken five steps than a giant log suddenly swung from a light pole. Kitsune ducked just in time to avoid a concussion, rolling deftly out of the way. But in the middle of her emergency maneuver, she accidentally tripped a wire with her hand. A sandbag launched from across the street, barely missing her by a hair's length.

This wasn't just a fluke—someone was trying to off her.

Kitsune looked ahead, and saw all manner of booby traps waiting for her. Loaded BB guns, what looked like land mines, fly paper…there was no way to that restaurant without having to pass through the gauntlet.

"All right Keitaro," she said to herself. "I see what's going on. You're good… but not good enough!"

With a war cry, she charged.

*******

"Hi, I'd like to claim a reservation, please? For Urashima."

The maitre 'd looked down his nose at the reservations sheet, and smiled, taking two menus. "Ah, yes. Right this way, please."

Shinobu was surprised.

"Sempai, you planned this?"

"I…" Keitaro chuckled nervously. "Uh, yeah. I did. I was kind of hoping you would agree to come." He looked at her. "Is that bad?"

She smiled, a small blush creeping to her cheeks. "No. Not at all."

"Good, I'm glad."

Sempai had planned everything. This was all for her.

Shinobu bit back the urge to giggle in excitement, and put on her "game face" of feminine demureness. Now, more than ever, she knew she needed to act like a mature woman. There was no way she was going to screw up again; she had to show Keitaro that she was capable of being sophisticated and cultured, not just some little girl pretending that she was grown-up.

"Do you remember this place, Shinobu-chan?"

"Hm?" She looked around. "… Oh."

It was the exact place they had gone for their first "date," which was a total bust: Shinobu had accidentally gotten drunk and dragged Keitaro to a love hotel, where they ended up studying the whole night. She realized with a certain irrational dread that they were even sitting at the exact same table.

"Sorry if this place is boring. I just couldn't think of any other fancy places."

"No no, it's fine, really." This was a second chance. Here she was, faced with the same situation again, but this time she had experience on her side. With a little luck, things would go as they should have gone a long time ago. Shinobu smiled. "I like being here."

"What would you like to order?"

There. The dreaded question.

Shinobu remembered the last time she was asked this, and what Keitaro ordered for her: The kid's meal with a hamburger and chocolate pudding. It was so humiliating. But now was her chance to do things differently.

Sitting up straight, Shinobu took a look at the menu, and looked up at the waiter confidently. "I would like your salmon special, please."

The waiter nodded. "Ah, excellent choice Miss. And would you like a glass of wine with that?"

"Actually, could I have some apple juice?"

She immediately kicked herself. Why did she say that?

"And for you, sir?"

"I'd like the dynamite combination dish."

"Very good. Any wine for you tonight, sir?"

"… Actually, I'd like some apple juice too."

When the waiter left, Keitaro looked at Shinobu.

"Shinobu-chan? Is something the matter?"

She rested her chin on her hand and smiled with half-lidded eyes. A single lock of hair fell over her face.

"No, sempai. Everything's fine."

*******

"Um, Miss…"

"What? What do you want?" The blue-haired girl snapped. The waiter jumped back and guiltily looked at his feet.

"You've been here for a long time, and I was wondering if you'd like to order yet…"

"Here's 1000 yen. Keep quiet."

"Yes ma'am."

Rieko sighed. She was sitting in the corner of the restaurant, watching Keitaro and Shinobu on their first real date. It was technically their second, but she didn't sweat the details. She knew exactly what they were doing when they left the Hinata Inn earlier in the evening, and intended to follow them through the evening to make sure everything went without a hitch.

Shinobu was wearing a cream-white dress with a fancy green vest, with matching fancy green strap shoes. Keitaro was also dressed up in his version of formal, with a black shirt and tie ensemble, clean slacks, and oddly mismatched tennis shoes. They were sitting facing each other at a small table, but they were too busy stealing furtive, shy glimpses of one another to make any conversation.

Rieko smiled.

They were so cute together.

*******

Kitsune made a soaring leap over a set of piano wires that would've made an Olympic jumper weep with envy. She tumbled to a stop, finally at the end of the street. The road was suspiciously empty, especially for the evening. She only partly took notice when the place began filling with an ominous, warm fog.

"It's so sad," came the voice of one old man.

"Why?" came the voice of another.

"Because, she doesn't understand. She merely runs the obstacle course."

A nod. "We all do… except one."

Another nod. "Yes, but she cheats. With our help."

A third old man frowned. "Our help, or our negligence?"

With a resounding toll of bells, the fog and the voices disappeared.

Kitsune whistled. She hoped she could do creepy shit like that when _she_ became an old lady. That just seemed too cool... But what did they mean?

She wasn't given a lot of time to think about it, as an unpleasantly loud screech suddenly diverted her attention. Kitsune looked up to see Seta's van flying in mid-air over her head, spinning in a corkscrew pattern that was just as jaw-droppingly amazing as it was terrifying. It landed with a deafening crash, leaving a moment of tense stillness in its wake.

"Seta-san…?" Kitsune walked cautiously to the van.

She was thrown back as it exploded in a fiery blaze.

"SETA-SAN!" Kitsune stood up and ran to the burning vehicle, looking for any signs of life. If Seta were injured, or worse…

She was greeted by a wooden mannequin wearing a lab coat and wig.

Kitsune ground her teeth.

"Using a fake Seta-san as a distraction. That's low." She raised a righteous fist to the sky, her face a set mask of determination. "Keitaro, when I find you and Shinobu-chan… I'm going to make you buy me all the sake I can drink!"

With that, she mentally steeled herself for more booby traps, and began to jog.

*******

Naru was taking an alternate route to the restaurant, gliding through alleyways and rooftops with the ease of a ghost. But Naru was a very angry ghost indeed.

She couldn't believe it. Keitaro had gone out to have a fancy dinner with Shinobu. Not only that, but he *snuck* out, only telling Haruka that he was even going anywhere.

Shinobu was probably wearing her best dress, the cream-white one. The younger girl had pulled it out of her closet during one of their little feminine heart-to-hearts, smiling bashfully and saying that she was saving it in case of a "special occasion." So this was what she was talking about… Maybe she was even wearing those green strap shoes she liked so much.

Keitaro was probably dressed up nicely too, with his hair all combed and smelling fresh. He usually couldn't dress well to save his life, but he was capable of cleaning himself up well if he had to. She'd seen him do it.

No doubt the two of them were chatting it up, downing glasses of wine, and having a grand time together, laughing about how cleverly they fooled everyone. And then later they would head downtown to share a strawberry milkshake—one cup with two straws, and two cherries linked at the stem, of course— and have an intimate conversation about life and love as they walked down the sidewalk. And then they would sit on a garden bench to admire the stars, and share a soft kiss under the moonlight. By the time they got back to the Hinata Inn, everyone would be asleep, and they'd steal another kiss on the porch before they went their separate ways, with nobody but them any the wiser.

It was all so secretive, so selfish… and so damn romantic.

Why hadn't Keitaro ever done anything like that for her? All she wanted was the perfect fulfillment of her deepest desires; was that too much to ask?

And how long had they been going out?

Was everything Keitaro did to fraternize with Naru just an elaborate ruse?

She froze in mid-step.

What if… what if they'd been together all this time? What if Shinobu's moving in and becoming "acquainted" with everyone was just good acting on her part? Were they so good at hiding in plain sight that no one at the inn suspected a thing?

No. That was impossible.

… But maybe everyone else knew, and it was *she* who was kept in the dark.

But why would they do that? To keep them from fulfilling their promise to each other so many years ago? Naru wasn't even sure if she was the "promise girl," but she was willing to bet that it was true. And if that was the case, then it could've been so important to the others to keep them apart that they were willing to keep Naru under constant surveillance, to make sure nothing ever really happened and Keitaro stayed with Shinobu. And only now was the truth making itself known… How awful!

Naru shook her head.

She was acting too paranoid.

Everyone at the Hinata Inn was her friend. They would never betray her so deeply.

But that didn't make them perfect. Shinobu was just too trusting for her own good, and she was paying the price by being suckered in by that lecher Keitaro. Who knew what would happen once they were truly alone? Naru didn't want to think about it. More so, she decided she wouldn't even let the possibility present itself.

She picked up her pace, swiping her bokken fiercely as she ran.

She wouldn't let him debauch poor Shinobu.

Keitaro was going to pay dearly for his degenerate ways.

Naru just hoped that she wasn't too late.

*******

"I don't want to do it right now."

"Why not?"

Shinobu bit her lower lip. "I'm not ready."

Keitaro nodded. "The first time is always a big step. But once you get it over with that first time, it'll feel really good. Just let me guide you and everything will be fine."

"Promise?" She looked hopeful.

"Absolutely." He smiled.

"But doesn't it cost money to take a practice Tokyo U test?"

"Not too much."

Dinner had come and gone, and now Keitaro and Shinobu were looking at the dessert menu. "What're you going to have, Shinobu-chan?"

"I'm not sure…" She touched her lip with her index finger. "The iced coffee seems like a good idea." She looked at him. "What're you going to have, sempai?"

"I was thinking the same thing, actually."

"Oh, well it says here that they have a 'lovebirds special,' an extra large cup for two."

They froze.

"But…" Shinobu blushed. "That would mean… we have to share it."

Keitaro blushed. "It… is a cup for two, after all."

She looked away. "Well, it's a pretty good deal, wouldn't you say, Urashima-sempai?"

He looked away. "Right, Shinobu-chan. Gotta save money."

They looked at each other and immediately burst into laughter.

"Why're you laughing, Shinobu-chan?" Keitaro chuckled.

"Because… because you're all red!" Shinobu replied in-between her giggling fits. "Why are you laughing, sempai?"

"Because you're all red too!"

"Oh."

"Oh."

They stopped laughing and looked back at the menu, turning even redder.

"I think we should get this."

"That's a good idea."

*******

Rieko idly slipped a bottle of beer as she sat at the table. She was still surreptitiously watching the couple from a distance, her face covered with an enormous pair of sunglasses. Her ever-present electric guitar was sitting by the chair.

So far, so good.

Keitaro and Shinobu were sipping a giant glass of iced coffee, being noticeably careful not to sip at the same time. They seemed to be getting more comfortable with being around each other though, smiling and talking animatedly.

Rieko smiled when Keitaro betrayed an expression of disappointment while looking at his wallet. That smile turned into a small laugh when Shinobu looked up, and Keitaro immediately transformed his face into a happy grin.

They leaned in to take a sip at the same time.

They immediately bolted up, their faces bright red.

Gomen, Shinobu seemed to say.

It's okay, Keitaro seemed to reply.

"Oh…" Rieko whispered. "You charmer, you."

They stood up to leave, and Rieko was about to follow them when she saw something from the corner of her eye that gave her pause. Her intuition was screaming a panic alarm, and she couldn't figure out why.

There. At the window.

A girl was standing across the street from the restaurant. She was wearing a yellow turtleneck sweater, a white cross necklace, and a red skirt with matching sneakers. More importantly, however, she was holding a bokken, and she looked quite pissed.

Naru.

Rieko wasn't expecting her so soon.

She slammed down a 500-yen note and hurried out of the restaurant. Keitaro and Shinobu could handle the date by themselves for now. Rieko needed to do some emergency damage control.

*******

Naru arrived at the restaurant, her hands quite ready for the proverbial pulverizing.

The neon sign flashed in her face, mocking her, daring her to enter and interrupt the sordid date. She was ready, and it would be simple: she would walk in, pick Shinobu up, give Keitaro a sound clubbing to the head, and return to the Hinata Inn with no problems.

It appeared, however, that fate decided on a different turn of events, as she saw Shinobu and Keitaro walk out of the restaurant together. Shinobu was indeed wearing the cream-white dress with the green shoes, and Keitaro was indeed dressed up for the occasion.

They looked quite happy together.

Naru swallowed the venom that threatened to pour from her spirit, letting it permeate through her body and transform her into a vessel of pure and righteous fury. She was going to *save* Shinobu from this dirty hentai. Taking a deep breath, Naru began to cross the street.

A black electric guitar stopped her in her tracks.

"What the…"

Rieko calmly held her instrument by the long end, blocking Naru's path. She bowed politely.

"Konbanwa, Naru-chan. Fancy meeting you here."

Naru made a quick, flustered bow. "Rieko-san, konbanwa… I'm sorry, but right now I have to go and stop Keitaro."

The punk girl took off her sunglasses with a dramatic flourish, tossing her blue hair as she did so. "Gomen, but I can't let you do that."

Naru frowned. "Why not? Are you in on this, too?"

"In on what? I just don't want to see you ruining the beginnings of perfectly good relationship."

"Relationship??" Naru exploded. "They're not in a relationship! Keitaro's just using her to fulfill his sick, twisted, perverted desires!"

"Says you." Rieko smirked. "They're on a nice, normal date. Don't interrupt them just when they're starting to have feelings for each other."

"Oh, you make me sick!" Naru said bitterly. "I can't believe you're just letting your cousin fall into that disgusting pervert's clutches! Think about all the dirty things he's going to do to her when they're all alone, and Shinobu has no one to protect her!"

"You're being irrational."

"I'm not! I just know Keitaro, and I know what he's going to do if this date continues!"

Rieko raised an eyebrow.

"What's the matter, Naru-chan?… Jealous?"

Naru was shocked into silence for approximately three seconds.

Then the sky darkened, and her eyes blazed red.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way." She commanded.

"No." Rieko shot back.

"I said MOVE!" Naru readied her bokken, sliding her left leg back into a preparation stance.

"Over my dead body." Rieko shifted her guitar into a defensive position.

"Rieko-san, you really… piss me off!" Naru leaped and swung.

And the battle was on.

*******

Shinobu squealed. "Oh, it's so cute!"

Keitaro smiled. She was talking about the ice cream sundae that they were currently enjoying in the cool autumn air. It was shaped like an octopus, complete with fat, stubby cookie legs.

The blue-haired girl pouted. "It's so cute that I don't want to eat it."

"Well we can't just let it melt," he laughed.

"You're right." Shinobu took out a small spoonful, and smiled. "Sempai, ahh!"

Keitaro hesitated, a feeling of déjà vu washing over him.

"A… Ahh…"

"How is it?"

He gave a thumbs up. "It's good!" He took out a spoonful himself. "Okay, your turn. Shinobu-chan, ahh!"

"Ahh…" When she didn't feel anything, Shinobu opened her eyes. Keitaro was looking back down the sidewalk, the spoon in his hand all but forgotten. "What's wrong, sempai?"

"I don't know…" Keitaro seemed puzzled. "I just swore I heard the sound of fighting."

"Oh." Shinobu thought for a moment, then concluded, "Must be the wind chimes at the temple nearby."

"Yeah, probably. Do you want to go there? I hear it has a nice garden."

"I'd love to." Shinobu beamed.

*******

Right under Keitaro and Shinobu's noses, Naru and Rieko were having the most intense fight of their lives.

Naru had never faced an opponent who was so well versed in combat. Every move Naru made was countered, every flying leap was sent crashing down. Naru kept her ground, but it was getting more and more difficult with each second.

They crouched down on opposite sides of the street, behind a clothing store sign and a standing mailbox. Both girls panted heavily, dripping sweat and maintaining a death grip on their respective weapons. Ahead of them, Shinobu and Keitaro walked obliviously to the temple, talking about the show that was on TV last night.

Naru jumped at the window of opportunity, making a run for the couple.

"Oh no you don't…" Rieko muttered, sprinting up behind her opponent.

Naru managed to get out "Shin!" before the blue-haired girl clamped a hand over her mouth, pulling her into a nearby alleyway.

*******

"Shinobu-chan, what is it?" Keitaro asked.

"Ah… nothing. I just thought someone called my name." She shrugged. "Remember last week's episode, when the rice cake salesman was pretending to be a doctor?"

"Oh I know! I don't think I'd ever be brave enough to do that."

"Right, you just pretended to be a Tokyo U student…" Shinobu gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say…" She became confused when Keitaro started to chuckle. "Sempai?"

"You have a good point, Shinobu-chan." He laughed. "You can be very witty sometimes, you know that?"

She blushed. "Arigato, sempai."

*******

"Wow, this place is so beautiful…" Shinobu looked around, admiring the hanging lantern-lights and the lily ponds under the bridge.

Keitaro nodded in agreement. He pointed at the sky. "Look, it's a full moon tonight."

They were silent for a while.

There was only the sound of wind chimes, and crickets in the distance.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight, Urashima-sempai."

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do for you, Shinobu-chan."

"But…" she stopped.

"What?"

"… But you've already done so much for me, sempai." Shinobu looked down at the water, a wistful shine in her eyes. "You help me cook every day. You help me study. You saved me from the kappa." She smiled at the memory. "You even promised me a birthday party tomorrow. You've done so much for me; I almost can't believe someone can be so kind. Every time I think about it, I wonder, 'how could he do all of this for me, and still think that he's not doing enough?'"

Shinobu suddenly looked up at Keitaro, trying to look normal but failing, as her eyes slowly filled with tears. "Tell me. Is this just another kindness, Urashima-sempai? Are you treating me well because you feel bad for me? I want to know the truth."

Keitaro was silent.

Shinobu wiped her eyes, chuckling sadly.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask you things like that. It just shows how ungrateful I am. And I am very grateful, sempai… More than you'll ever know." She stuck one foot out from the bridge, staring at the way the light reflected off of her shoe. "I just wish… I wish I could be pretty, like the other girls." She looked up at the moon, a dreamy smile on her face. "They're always beautiful, no matter what they're wearing, or how they act. I can't do that… I can't be as good as they are." She sighed. "But I cook, and I clean. I have to be useful somehow… And that's why I think you do too much for me, sempai. You've been doing everything out of the goodness of your heart, when I'm only doing things so I can make up for being who I am." She smiled warmly. "You're so kind, Urashima-sempai. I don't deserve y—"

Keitaro grabbed Shinobu by the shoulders and gave her a long, soulful kiss.

She opened her eyes wide in shock. A shooting star passed through the sky, blinking into nothingness almost before she could see it.

When their lips parted, they were both gasping for breath.

Shinobu looked at Keitaro expectantly. She wanted a word, a sound… anything! What was going on? But they stayed silent for a long time afterward, just looking into each other's eyes, each expecting the other to break the strange silence.

"Shinobu-chan…" Keitaro finally said, a sad look in his eyes. "You're beautiful. You've always been beautiful. Please… never think that you're ugly, or worthless. I don't think you're either."

Shinobu tried to hold it back.

She honestly tried, with all the strength her heart could muster.

But she couldn't.

"… Why are you so nice to me…?"

She broke down, covering her face with her hands and sobbing.

Keitaro stood there, looking at the person before him. He tried to see the girl he knew, the young girl who he had seen at the Hinata Inn for almost his entire adult life. But all he could see was someone truly amazing.

At that moment, something in him changed.

Stepping forward over the bridge, Keitaro took Shinobu into a warm embrace, holding her tightly. She wrapped her arms around him, crying onto his chest and clinging to him as if he would disappear at any moment. Keitaro hushed her gently, stroking her hair. There were no words from Shinobu; there was no need for any

But, as the night crickets sang and the lake reflected the world, he gently whispered.

"Thank you, Shinobu-chan… for being in my life."


	7. Happy Birthday! The Truth Comes Out!

Kitsune shadowed the younger couple all the way to the garden, as stealthily as a silent breeze. She was exhausted after an hour of jumping, twisting and dodging, but the young woman had gone much too far to quit now. Even sake didn't compare to this kind of thrill, the illicit rush she got from spying on people. Somebody obviously went out of their way to keep this date a secret, so she was going to do everything she could to find out the truth. Such was her nature.

She crouched down behind a wooden pillar as Keitaro and Shinobu approached the bridge, careful not to make a noise.

They were talking.

Shinobu leaned on the bridge, looking up at the moon. Whatever she was saying, it seemed slow and deliberate. She glanced at Keitaro lovingly, but with a strange sadness as well, as if she were prepared to accept something she didn't want.

Suddenly, he kissed her.

It was long, and passionate. When Keitaro finally pulled away, they were both breathless.

They were talking again.

When Keitaro finished, they were silent for a few moments.

Then Shinobu began to cry.

Keitaro hesitated. But finally, he took her into his arms. She reciprocated with a desperate sort of tenderness, one that betrayed the depths of her fear, and the incredible strength of her love.

Kitsune saw everything with a wide-eyed, hypnotized fascination.

Then she smiled, a devious fox's grin.

This was even better than she had hoped.

*******

Chapter 5: Happy Birthday! The Truth Comes Out!

*******

Naru awoke slowly. Her head felt like an egg that had been mercilessly cracked against a frying pan and emptied of its contents. She blearily wiped her eyes.

"Eh… nani?"

What was she doing here? The last thing she could remember was following Shinobu-chan and Keitaro, and then Rieko had showed up… and then the fight…

But then what?

As she raised herself out of her futon with her elbows, Naru realized someone was sitting next to her. She snapped to attention when she recognized Rieko.

"Maehara-san! What are you doing here?"

Rieko opened her eyes. She looked exhausted.

"Naru-chan… youkata (I'm so glad). Ohayo gozaimasu." She smiled tiredly, but with not a little bit of kindness.

Naru winced, rubbing the back of her head. The flesh there felt quite tender.

"What happened?"

"Please, don't move too quickly. Just lie down." Rieko gestured for her to rest her head. Naru realized that there was an ice pack on her pillow.

"What happened?" She asked again, a little more curiosity in her voice. "Did you knock me out with your guitar?"

The blue-haired girl cringed. "Er… not exactly." She took a soaked cloth from a bowl of cold water next to her, wringing it gently and placing it on Naru's head. "I pulled you into an alley to keep you from yelling, but I guess I went a little too fast, because the next thing I knew, you hit your head on the brick wall and went unconscious." She smiled awkwardly. "Gomen."

"It's okay. I feel fine, Maehara-san. Don't worry." Naru removed the cloth from her head, sitting up to face her companion. "I think I should be the one to apologize. I shouldn't have gone crazy like that."

Rieko tactfully looked away, taking out her electric guitar. "You had your reasons."

That was right; she did.

"Where's Keitaro and Shinobu-chan?"

Rieko shrugged. "I heard them come in last night, but I've been here ever since I carried you home."

"You carried me?"

"Well, I hauled you on piggyback and rode my scooter back to the Hinata house."

Naru blushed, embarrassed at having been the cause of so much trouble. "Domo arigato."

Then the door slid open, and Kitsune sauntered in.

Rieko's eyes narrowed when she saw her. There was something very suspicious in her smile.

"Ohayo, minna…" She kneeled down on a cushion, patting Naru on the shoulder. "Just thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing."

Naru smiled in gratitude. "I'm fine Kitsune. Thanks for being concerned."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all! Especially not after last night…" Her smile became almost unnoticeably more impish, but Rieko caught it just in time.

The punk girl fought the urge to scowl. "What do you mean?"

Kitsune feigned an air of nonchalance. "Oh, just things… here and there, you know. It was pretty busy the other night… Wouldn't you say, Naru-chan?"

She knew.

Somehow she had gotten past all the booby traps Rieko had set up the other night, and she still saw everything.

This, Rieko noted, was decidedly bad.

Naru was still recovering from her concussion, but she caught the hidden subtext of Kitsune's words. Her eyes flashed in morbid curiosity, and she leaned closer. "What are you getting at, Kitsune?"

"Ahh, nothing. It's nothing," she said in a way that definitely implied that there was more than she was letting on.

"Kitsune…"

She stretched lazily, standing up to leave. "Well, I'd better get going. I have things to do." She winked. "Rest up, okay Naru-chan? There's no use in you getting all flustered over nothing."

When the door closed, Naru and Rieko were silent.

Then they both sighed, in unison. They looked at each other in surprise.

Rieko raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Mm. Well?"

Naru closed her eyes slowly. Her expression was drained of any energy, and she could only afford a small, sleepy smile.  "… I guess I'm just tired."

Rieko nodded in agreement. "Yeah… yeah." She lay down, her guitar resting on her stomach. "This place does that to you."

*******

Kitsune went back to her room, basking in the afterglow of complete satisfaction.

Secrets were one of those strange topics that made Kitsune's life keep turning. She hated having secrets kept from her, but she loved keeping her own secrets from everyone else. She liked feeling in control of the situation. It was just more comfortable that way. And comfort was very important to Kitsune.

This had turned out better than she had hoped.

Keitaro and Shinobu were getting hot and heavy, and now Naru was beginning to suspect something fishy. Not only that, but Kitsune had dropped hints to everyone else in the household… she couldn't wait to see what would happen later that night at the birthday party.

Would Naru beat Keitaro into a bloody pulp?

Would someone finally snap from the tension and demand an explanation?

Or perhaps Keitaro would be making a "special announcement" tonight…

So many possibilities.

This was what she was missing. It was better than a case of mistaken identity, better than kappas, almost better than the taste of good sake. This was intense, real, memorable drama, all created by her masterful hand.

Kitsune giggled in delight, opening up her horse racing journal and lying peacefully on her bed.

It was all so exciting!

*******

Shinobu examined the list in her hand. "Eggs… we need eggs and mushrooms."

"I'm on it."

Keitaro and Shinobu were shopping for groceries. They didn't really need to; it was more just an excuse to go out and enjoy the day. The sky was cloudless through the windows, there was a pleasant breeze in the air, and even the birds seemed to show their pleasure by bursting into song.

Keitaro dropped the items into the basket. "Okay, anything else?"

"Hmm… No, looks like we're done."

"All right."

After they paid for everything, the two lingered outside instead of going back to the Hinata Inn, wandering around the gift shops.

"Shinobu-chan?"

"Nani?" Shinobu was writing in her planning notepad.

"Your party's today."

She smiled. "Hai!"

"What kind of cake did you want, out of the ones we tried?"

Shinobu thought for a moment. She smiled again. "I like all of them."

Keitaro chuckled. "That doesn't help much."

"I know, but I don't think I could make a decision about which one I liked the most. They were all delicious." She looked up at Keitaro. "Just surprise me, sempai. I trust you."

He nodded. "Okay."

Keitaro pointed. "Hey, look. A photo booth."

Shinobu blushed, suddenly shy again. "Did… did you want to take pictures, sempai?"

Keitaro shrugged. He reached into his pockets, pulling out a few bills. "I think I have enough here, and besides, I don't have any pictures of you in my sticker album." He smiled. "Come on."

They sat inside the booth, and Keitaro inserted the bills.

"Okay, Shinobu-chan, get ready…"

They took one picture just sitting together.

"Let's do something weird!"

They took another with Keitaro in a faux-headlock.

"How about something a little more standard, sempai?"

They took another picture, with both of them smiling and making V-signs.

"Ooh, how about a birthday picture?"

They took another picture sitting together, and chose the special 'happy birthday' border for the sticker.

"Well, that was fun."

Shinobu nodded in agreement. "You're fun to be with, sempai." She beamed, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. "That's why I like you the most!"

He chuckled and turned red, scratching the back of his head.

*******

Keitaro slipped into his room. In his hand was the sheet of pictures that he had taken with Shinobu earlier in the day.

Surreptitiously, he opened his desk drawer, removing a small black box. He carefully opened it, inspecting its contents with a discerning eye.

Everything looked perfect.

"Shinobu-chan, you're going to love this."

Taking out a pair of scissors, he set to work.

Barely a minute passed before he heard the door open.

Panicking, he shoved everything back into the drawer and took out the first thing he could reach, opening it up and pretending that he was reading.

"Keitaro-kun." Rieko's head popped in.

"H-hai, Rieko-san!" He smiled nervously. "Is there something you need?"

"Shinobu said she was starting lunch, and wanted to know if you wanted to help…" She raised an eyebrow, glancing at the material in Keitaro's hands. "Of course, she could always wait fifteen minutes…"

Keitaro looked down.

He was holding one of the magazines he used for models… one the more risqué variety. He slapped it shut. "Ah-hahaha this isn't what it— Tell her I'll be right there!"

The blue-haired girl smiled softly, shaking her head as she closed the door. "Tsk tsk, kanrinrin-san (manager)."

Keitaro heaved a deep sigh.

That was embarrassing. But he was willing to put up with some humiliation, as long as everything else went smoothly.

Tying a headband around his forehead, he opened the drawer and resumed his task.

*******

Naru was sitting alone, in her room.

The lights were off, leaving her with nothing but shadows and slivers of light to comfort her. Rieko had left earlier, and now Naru could spend some time in genuine reflection, and let the events of the last couple days sink in.

What happened between Keitaro and Shinobu?

She didn't know.

That was the truth, but it left an aching question behind:

Did she _want_ to know?

She didn't know the answer to that, either.

On one hand, it all seemed so silly. Keitaro was a sick pervert; that much was undeniable. But he was also spineless. Even on the day of his arrival, he wasn't even brave enough to tell anyone the truth, instead lying about being a Tokyo U student and hoping that the charade would last. If he was a coward from day one, then what would make him any better now? He just wasn't capable of doing anything to Shinobu—he'd be too afraid of everyone's wrath.

No. He'd be too afraid of Naru's wrath.

That's what he really feared.

But what did that make her? A jealous wife, bitterly using anything as an excuse to berate and abuse her spouse? She didn't want that.

And it wasn't as if change was impossible. Naru had seen moments, here and there, where Keitaro seemed like a decent human being. There were even times when he was downright kind. But his kindness was always self-deprecating in its own way. It was as if he thought that by hurting himself, he could make Naru feel better about her life.

But again… what did that make her?

And if she accepted that Keitaro was able to change, then that meant she had to accept the possibility that he did indeed sweep Shinobu off of her feet. There was the chance, however slight, however undesirable, that Naru's suspicions were correct, and that Keitaro and Shinobu really were participating in some kind of clandestine romance.

"Hah!" She said to no one in particular. "Well she can have him! That stupid pervert can do whatever he wants! It's not like I care!"

The walls didn't respond.

"Baka Keitaro… Baka Shinobu… they don't even know what they're doing. Hmph! But I don't care."

The walls stayed silent.

That was right. She didn't care.

But then why she feel so empty?

"Lunchtime!" Shinobu's voice called out from the kitchen.

Without another word, Naru stood up and left her room, closing the door behind her.

Now there were only the shadows.

*******

"Happy birthday dear Shinobu-chan… Happy birthday to you!"

A candle-covered birthday cake, covered in pink frosting and in the shape of a heart, was placed on the table in front of Shinobu.

Mutsumi smiled, getting the camera ready.

"Make a wish, Shinobu-chan!"

Shinobu thought for a moment. Then she smiled.

With a breath, the candles went out.

Kitsune whooped, turning the lights on and producing bottles and bottles of sake. "All right, let's have ourselves a PARTY!"

Everyone cheered; even Haruka.

Shinobu turned to Keitaro as Kaolla Su stepped up to a monstrosity of a karaoke machine—undoubtedly one she built herself. "Thank you for the cake, sempai."

"Wait until you taste it, Shinobu-chan. I put everything into this one!" He smiled proudly.

"I just wish I could've helped you this time."

"Don't be silly! It's your birthday; you should relax!" Keitaro patted her gently on the back. "Now how about we get some drinks and join the festivities, ne?"

Shinobu nodded enthusiastically—then cringed as Kaolla Su and Sarah launched into an atrocious pop duet. "… Actually, give me a minute or two to adjust."

Keitaro laughed. But as he turned to watch the spectacle, he noticed Naru out of the corner of his eye. She was just sitting there, doing nothing. He decided to head over to her end of the table, sitting down comfortably next to her. "Are you all right, Narusegawa?"

For a split second, Naru gave Keitaro such a cold look that he backed away.

An instant later, she reverted to her normal self.

"Why, you want to see if I'm drunk yet, Keitaro?"

He began to sweat. "I, er…"

"You pervert!" Naru gave him a playful punch—about as playful as a punch in the face can get, anyway. "Watch the karaoke queen, little boy." With that, she stood up, taking a microphone.

A couple of minutes later, Naru burst into a stunning rendition of "Sobakasu" by Judy and Mary.

Keitaro looked at her quizzically. What was that all about?

He shrugged, standing up to fix himself a drink.

At least everything was okay.

*******

"Open the presents!" Kitsune slurred. In her hand was yet another cup full of warm sake, though she had lost count of them a long time ago.

Shinobu took the first one, a big box that was gift-wrapped with banana-patterned paper and a gold bow.

"That's from me!" Kaolla Su declared. "You're going to love it!"

As soon as she heard that, Shinobu gulped, taking extreme caution when pulling the bow open. There was no telling what was waiting for her. She slowly opened the paper, and her jaw dropped when she opened the box. "A professional set of stainless steel cooking knives?"

"Yup!"

Shinobu embraced her friend in a tight hug. "Thank you Su-chan!"

"And they shoot missiles, too!"

"Whose should I pick next?" She took a small box, which was wrapped—very poorly—with green paper and a white ribbon.

"Um…" Keitaro piped up, shyly. "That one's from me."

"Oh?" Shinobu blushed slightly. "Well I wonder what it is!"

All of the girls leaned in to see what it was. They all remembered, or at least heard about, what happened the other night. Kitsune's not-so-subtle hinting that she knew what was going on didn't help matters much.

Keitaro inwardly groaned. Why did everyone have to pay such close attention?

Nevertheless, he wanted to see the look on Shinobu's face, so he kept his gaze fixed on her.

She slowly untied the ribbon, and carefully removed the gift wrapping. She stared silently at what was underneath for a few moments.

"Well?" Motoko said, her voice betraying the slightest hint of anticipation. "Open it up, Shinobu-chan."

Taking an deep breath, Shinobu opened the box.

And she gasped.

Inside was a gold necklace, with a tiny, heart-shaped golden watch in the center.

"Sempai… you shouldn't have…"

Keitaro smiled awkwardly. "I hope you like it."

Naru saw the necklace, and turned away silently, breathing easier now than she had been for the entire day. It wasn't that big of a deal. Just a bit of gold. If that was the best idea Keitaro had for a birthday gift…

"Oh look!" Mutsumi pointed. "It has a hinge on it! It's a locket!"

Haruka smiled, winking at her nephew. Keitaro chuckled nervously. "Let's see what's inside."

Curiously, Shinobu opened the locket.

No one could see what was inside yet, but it affected Shinobu immediately.

She sniffed, wiping her eyes with her free hand.

The girls made a low "ohhh" sound as the contents of the locket were revealed:

On the right side was a picture of Shinobu, and on the left was one of Keitaro.

Keitaro shrugged. "… I guess you know why I wanted to go to the photo booth now." He looked concerned. "Shinobu-chan, are you all right?… You don't like it any more?"

Shinobu shook her head. "No, it's not that…" She closed the locket, putting the necklace on. Then she stood up, running past all of the girls and giving Keitaro a big hug. Her voice was quiet, and wavering.

"I love it. Thank you so much, sempai…"

"KISS 'ER!"

Everyone turned around to see Kitsune, who was now hideously intoxicated.

Shinobu and Keitaro turned bright red, pushing themselves away from each other and going back-to-back.

"Wh-What are you talking about, Kitsune? I'd never do that!" Keitaro laughed.

Shinobu laughed along with him. "That's right, he's the manager! It wouldn't be appropriate!"

Kitsune pouted. "Hey-yy… why not?" She grinned. "You kissed 'er last night, didn'tcha Kei-kun? So do it right now! Give us a big romantic kiss, right on the lips!" She cheered, her words melting into each other. "You know you wanna!"

Time stopped.

"I… don't know what you're talking about, Kitsune." Keitaro meekly protested.

"Yeah you do!" Kitsune laughed. "I was there! You were all at the bridge and making with the smoochy-woochy on the bridge! It was romantic, Kei-kun, I'm proud of you! Never thought you…" she hiccupped, "… had it in you!"

Again, there was complete silence.

Everyone except Haruka was wide-eyed. Even she seemed a little surprised, judging by the way her cigarette drooped.

Keitaro looked at Shinobu, and Shinobu back at Keitaro.

What do we do? Shinobu seemed to ask with her eyes.

I don't know. Keitaro replied in kind.

Everyone's watching us. Say something!  
I can't! What can I say?

I don't know…

Their visual dialogue was abruptly ended by the sound of a plate shattering.

Naru had dropped her slice of cake. The fork clattered and came uselessly to a stop.

Her fists were clenched, and her entire body was trembling.

Her eyes were obscured by her hair, shadows of intent and emotion shrouding her.

Everyone's attention was now focused on her.

For almost a minute, everything was unbearably still.

"N…" Keitaro stammered. "Naru…segawa…"

Then she spoke.

With one word, Naru intoned the most hateful, rage-filled sounds that ever existed. If voices had power, hers would have peeled the paint clean off the walls and caused all of the windows in the Hinata Inn to shatter into a million pieces. In three syllables, Naru let out a lifetime's worth of venom, bile and acid, filling the room with a dark, vengeful nimbus. If hell existed, it truly would have no fury compared to the sound of her voice at that very moment, when she said:

"… Keitaro…"

Then, without warning, she unleashed a vicious punch. Her fist shot forward, aimed directly at Keitaro's face…

Where his hand caught it, stopping Naru mid-swing.

Everyone gasped. Even Keitaro.

He stared with unconcealed wonder at his hand, which was now holding Naru's at bay.

Naru, for her part, was shocked into silence. This had never happened before.

Then, before anyone could react, Keitaro took Shinobu by the hand.

"Come on, Shinobu. Let's get out of here."

She looked at him with concern. "H… Hai." They turned to leave.

Their slow walk quickly turned into a mad dash when Naru shouted, "Oh no you don't! Get back here!" Everyone snapped out of whatever spell they were under, realizing three things: One, something big just happened. Two, it had to do with Keitaro and Shinobu.  And three, they were getting away.

With that, everyone gave chase to the running couple.

They slid down the hallway, where they met head-on with Rieko.

"Hey guys, how's the party—"

"No time!" Keitaro shouted, running past her with Shinobu in tow. "Gomen!"

Then the stampede of women ran by, led by a rampaging Naru.

Keitaro leaped into the first open room, pulling Shinobu in after him and slamming the door shut, immediately locking it.

Naru skidded to a stop, where she began yanking and banging on the door.

"Keitaro! Open up you hentai! I know you're in there!" She slammed the door with her fist, but it wouldn't budge. "KEITARO! Open the door! Shinobu-chan, don't protect him!" She kept hitting the door.

Soon her screams became nearly unintelligible, shrieking sounds, her strikes against the door becoming savage and desperate. Anyone who saw her would have sworn that she had finally snapped. The other girls, falling away from the heat of the moment, just stood there and watched the spectacle. Their faces hid nothing.

"Naru-chan…" Motoko slowly approached, her voice unusually gentle as she reached a hand out to touch her friend's shoulder. "Stop doing this…"

"Don't touch me!" Naru shrieked, shoving Motoko away.

Haruka frowned. "Naru-chan, you're going too far."

Naru ignored her and kept hitting the door, screaming bloody murder.

"Keitaro! Keitaro I'll kill you if you don't open this door! Keitaro! Kei…" her voice wavered, but she didn't stop. "Keitaro! Open the door! I said *open the door*! Keitaro *please*…" a sob emerged from her lips. She attempted to hide it, but it was no use. "Keitaro! Keitaro… open the door! Let me in! Keitaro, please, open the door, I'm begging you! Open the door! *Keitaro*!!!"

The last cry of his name died out in her throat.

For one eternally long moment, there was no sound but Naru's hits against the door, which were growing steadily weaker with each successive strike. They were being replaced by the sound of sobs.

Naru slid to the floor, her hands still in weak fists.

She slumped to her knees, letting her head rest against the wood of the door.

Then quietly, miserably, she cried.

Haruka's face softened. "Naru-chan…"

Naru didn't wait to hear what she had to say.

Standing up, she ran away from everyone.

*******

"Do you think it's safe now?"

"… I think so." Keitaro sighed.

The entrance to Shinobu's room was completely covered in a makeshift blockade. Her bookshelf, desk, and several boxes were moved to keep the doorway shut, and the couple now sat, exhausted, on the empty floor.

Shinobu turned to face Keitaro. "What are you thinking about?"

He looked back at her. "Oh, just… how sorry I am, I guess."

"For what?"

Keitaro smiled sadly. "Ruining your birthday party."

Shinobu put her hands in front of her emphatically. "That's awful! You didn't do anything like that, sempai!"

"Are you sure?" He looked up at the ceiling. "Everyone's mad at us, and we're pretty much stuck here for awhile. I wish you could've at least had time to finish opening your presents."

Shinobu shook her head slowly. "I don't see it that way." She blushed slightly. "I think that, even with all of the bad things that have happened…" She leaned on his shoulder. "You made me a cake, you gave me a beautiful gift, and you threw me a wonderful party, even if it didn't last very long. So this has been a good birthday. Thank you, sempai."

Keitaro blushed, looking down at the girl on his shoulder.

"… Anytime, Shinobu-chan."

"Baka!"

Keitaro and Shinobu bolted up. Standing in front of them, annoyed smirk and all, was Sarah MacDougal.

"Sarah??" Shinobu panicked. "H-How did you get in here??"

The young girl pointed up at the ceiling, where a tile was conspicuously removed. She smiled devilishly, letting the scene speak for itself.

Keitaro slumped. "Then I suppose it's only a matter of time before everyone else comes, huh?"

"What're you talking about?" She crossed her arms indignantly. "I came here alone. Nobody else knows I'm here except you two."

"What? Why?"

Sarah shook her head, as if he were asking the dumbest question in the world. "You guys are together. That's a private thing, and I don't see why everyone's freaking out right now. I mean, it's your own business, isn't it? It's not like they have a right to butt in, even if we all live together."

Keitaro and Shinobu were speechless.

Sarah frowned. "What?"

"… Are you sure you're only 9?" Keitaro asked incredulously.

"Poor, misunderstood Sarah-chan…" Shinobu went up to hug her, but Sarah dodged the offer.

"All right, so let's hear it!" Sarah jumped onto Keitaro's back, hitting him on the head repeatedly with her fists.

"Ow! Hey, what's your problem?"

She didn't relent. "Do you love her, baka? Come on, don't be a coward!"

"Stop that!"

"Then tell the truth!"

"Okay, fine!" Sarah jumped off, a smug grin on her face. Keitaro rubbed his head gingerly.

Keitaro looked up. Shinobu was facing him.

She was looking at him expectantly, which made him hesitate.

"What are you waiting for?" Sarah protested. "Tell her already!"

He gulped.

Sarah was right. If there was any time to tell Shinobu how he felt, it was now.

He readied himself. "Shinobu-chan…"

"Sempai?" She almost smiled, but it was covered by uncertainty.

"Shinobu-chan… I…" He took a deep breath. "I…"

A sharp ring interrupted him.

Keitaro paused.

It rang again.

"… You might want to get that, sempai," Shinobu said softly.

He deflated, trudging over to the phone and picking it up.

"Moshi moshi," Keitaro muttered. "Hinata Inn, manager speaking…" He perked up. "Oh! Um, yes she's right here! Just a moment."

He handed the phone to Shinobu, whispering, "It's your dad."

Shinobu took the phone. "Oto-sama (Father)?"

"Shinobu-chan!" Her father's voice came through the line.

"Oto-sama!" She smiled. "Did you call to wish me a happy birthday?"

"Well, that too…" He was oddly quiet, even for his usual self.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No! No sweetie, everything's fine! In fact… I wanted to tell you…" He paused for effect. "Your mother and I have gotten back together!"

Shinobu gasped. "Nani?"

"We've reconciled!"

"That…" She was at a loss for words. "But it's so sudden…"

"Don't worry about it, everything's okay now. We've packed our bags and we're in Okinawa right now. That's actually why I called."

"… What do you mean?" Shinobu couldn't help but feel a sense of dread slowly come over her. What her father said next only confirmed it.

"We want you to leave the Hinata Inn and come live with us."


	8. I Love You! Fate Finds a Future!

Kitsune knocked on Naru's door.

Immediately, she heard the crying stop. At least, she heard Naru try to stop, and heard her fail twice before finally getting enough of a grip on herself to answer.

"Y… yes?"

Kitsune may have been drunk, but she wasn't blind.

The sight of Naru running to her room in tears was sobering enough. Seeing what she did before that point was even more eye-opening.

And the worst part was when she realized that it was all her fault.

She engineered all the pain, thinking it would all pass over the next day. But it didn't look like things were going to work out that way, this time. Kitsune couldn't stand thinking about it. More than anything else at that moment, she wanted to make amends, and make everything better again. The old life was boring, true… but at least in the old life, her best friend of years wasn't bawling her eyes out alone in her room.

She couldn't leave Naru like that.

"Naru-chan… Do you want to talk?"

*******

Chapter 6: I Love You! Fate Finds a Future!

*******

Shinobu was silent.

"Shinobu-chan?" The voice of her father asked. "Are you there?"

"… Hai."

"Well, what do you think? Aren't you happy, dear?"

"Yes," she replied hollowly. "I'm very happy."

"Good! There's a flight booked for tomorrow afternoon, and the ticket's already reserved at the airport. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner, but things have been busy over here, you know…"

"I understand."

Her father finally caught on. "Shinobu-chan, if you don't want to… You could stay at the Hinata Inn. I'd be just as happy if you're where you want to be." He said this, but it was obvious that he preferred for his daughter to be with him. What real father didn't think that way?

"It's not that. It's just a surprise, that's all. Give me a little time to think about it, Oto-sama."

"That's fine, Shinobu-chan. Take all the time you need—my number hasn't changed."

"Okay."

"Oh, and Shinobu-chan!" She could hear the grin. "Happy birthday."

"… Arigato, Oto-sama." She hung up.

"What was that about?" Keitaro asked. He and Sarah had been listening with rapt fascination, trying to piece together clues about the conversation.

Shinobu was expressionless. "My father… and my mother… they're back together now."

"Oh!" Keitaro smiled. "Well that sounds like good news to me!"

"They want me to move to Okinawa with them."

He stopped smiling.

"… Are you leaving?" Sarah asked.

Shinobu shook her head quickly. "No, of course not! I like it here too much to just leave…" She smiled in an attempt to look encouraging. Sarah didn't take the bait. "I'm staying, don't worry."

"If you say so."

Keitaro looked relieved. "I'm glad. You scared me for a second!"

"Gomen, sempai. I just need to get used to my parents getting back together, that's all."

"I understand. That probably is a little weird, considering how they were the last time I saw them…"

"I don't think they've changed." Shinobu said quietly.

"Nani?"

Sarah loudly stretched to change the subject. "Well, it's pretty late now, isn't it? It's almost midnight." She raised an eyebrow at Keitaro. "Are you going to move everything out of the way, or do I have to go through the ceiling again?"

Keitaro stared dumbly at the massive blockade.

"Oh. Right." He sighed, rubbing his hands together. "I guess things have finally calmed down out there. We can deal with everybody in the morning, ne?" He looked at Shinobu-chan, a concerned expression crossing his face. "Do you think you'll be all right, Shinobu-chan?"

There was a beat of silence.

Then she smiled.

"Of course! I'll be fine, sempai, don't worry."

*******

"… What do you want, Kitsune?"

The deadness in her voice caught Kitsune off-guard, but only for a moment. She opened the door to the room.

Naru was facing the opposite wall, her futon blanket completely wrapped around her so that only the top of her head was visible. Liddo-kun was in her arms, being held as if it were the only friend Naru had in the entire world. She didn't say anything when Kitsune entered, but her muffled sniffling betrayed her misery.

"I just…" The older girl tried a big smile, to see if Naru would turn around. She didn't. "… I just wanted to see if you maybe wanted to talk!"

"Oh." Naru was silent.

Kitsune tried again. "How're you feeling!"

Naru hugged Liddo-kun tighter, and pulled the blanket closer around herself. She spoke softly, almost in a whisper, but her lifeless tone resonated through the room. "… I'm fine."

"Ah… Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But—"

"I SAID I'M FINE!" She threw Liddo-kun at Kitsune, but missed her completely, hitting the wall instead.

They were silent.

Then, unexpectedly, Naru let out a whimper. It was a childish sound, more fitting for someone five years old than for someone her age. But she did it, and she stood up quickly, running over to Liddo-kun and picking him up protectively. She held him tightly for a moment, her eyes shut, oblivious to Kitsune's presence. Then she went back to the wall and the blanket. She rocked back and forth slowly, holding the stuffed squirrel to her breast.

Kitsune was alarmed.

Was Naru going through a mental breakdown? Did tonight's events finally drive her over the edge? Kitsune couldn't believe that just this morning, she thought this was going to be something fun and exciting.

"Naru-chan…"

She said nothing.

"Naru-chan!" Kitsune fought to keep herself calm, but she was losing. "Say something to me!"

"Maybe you remember." Naru whispered. Before Kitsune could say anything, she continued. "I told you that I had promised someone something, and that that promise was important to me."

Kitsune nodded silently.

"I think…" Her bitter smile filled the room. "…I think Keitaro was that promise. When we were kids, you know." Naru went silent for a moment. Then she began to sniffle. "But… I guess promises don't mean much to him, do they? _I _don't mean anything to him." She rocked back and forth, reciting a list of indictments that seemed to burn her like a brand. "I can't cook. I can't clean. I'm violent. I'm ungrateful. I treated Keitaro like he was my right, instead of my privilege. I mistreated him… You can't do that to people and expect them to love you. You can't tell them, 'but I care about you!' and expect them to think you're being sincere."

"… Naru-chan…"

"I did it to myself. It's not like the world is being unfair. But sometimes…" she looked up at the ceiling. "Sometimes, on days like this, I sit here and think, 'who's ever going to love me?' I think about it, and all of a sudden…" She withdrew back into her blanket and her Liddo-kun. "… Everything begins to look so ugly."

There were no tears, but those words broke Kitsune's heart most of all.

"Naru-chan." There was no response. Kitsune took a deep breath. "Naru-chan… Don't you think I care about you?"

Naru turned to look at Kitsune. Before she could protest, she continued.

"I know what everyone thinks of me. I'm just lazy Kitsune, only good for a party or a fun time. But we've been friends for years, Naru-chan. Sometimes I think you know me even better than I do." She smiled. "I've always admired you, Naru-chan. You're smart, you're beautiful, and more than that, you know exactly what you want out of life." She looked at Naru; her eyes open in an expression of genuineness. "So what if Keitaro doesn't like you? That's his loss. It's Seta-san's loss, too, letting someone like you pass him by. But even if there are a million Keitaros, a million Seta-sans… and god-knows-how-many Kentaros… I know that I would still be here, rooting for you each and every time. Because you're my best friend, and as long as I can help it, I'll always be here for you."

She smiled.

"Do you believe me, Naru-chan?"

Naru looked at Kitsune for what seemed like an eternity.

Her eyes began filling with tears. "Kitsune…"

Standing up, she embraced her friend in a tight hug. Her tears flowed freely, and Naru cried and cried, letting out years of frustration and misery in a single moment. As much as Kitsune tried to fight it, soon she was crying as well.

"Kitsune…"

"Naru-chan…"

"I loved him!"

"I know… I know."

"Why did he…?"

"Shh… shh, it's okay, Naru-chan. You tried your best … but everything's going to be okay. I promise."

They stayed like that for a long time.

*******

Shinobu slowly backed away from Naru's door. She had heard everything.

Perhaps it wasn't a good time to try and talk with her… she decided that she would try again later that night. But she knew she needed to talk with Naru personally. Anything else just wouldn't be right.

*******

Keitaro was lying in bed.

He could hear Naru when they were blockaded in Shinobu's room; how she broke down and ran away in tears. Then, less than an hour ago, he heard her heart-to-heart with Kitsune through the ceiling.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't mean to hurt anyone like this.

Did Naru really care about him that much? Perhaps it was wrong of him, but he never realized it at the time. But now that everything was out in the open, Keitaro had some options: either he would ignore it and try to deal with it in the morning, or he would go to Naru's room right now and maybe try to get her to see his side of things. Of course, there was always the option of leaving the Hinata Inn, which split into whether or not he would have Shinobu by his side. Why he even entertained those kinds of thoughts, he didn't know.

It was all so crazy.

He didn't even know how he felt about Shinobu, not really. She was young, and they would need to keep the relationship secret from the world at large until she was old enough to marry without her parents' consent. Maybe they wouldn't even be able to last that long—two years was a lot of time for something to go wrong, especially at the Hinata Inn.

And he knew how fragile a girl's heart could be.

Just look at Naru.

He sighed, getting out of bed. Well it wasn't like he was going to get any sleep…

He got out a stool, and knocked on the ceiling where a wooden board covered the hole.

"Naru-chan? Are you awake?" There was no response. "… I guess not."

But as he began to step down, the board slid away and Naru emerged. Her eyes were still puffy with tears, but she seemed fine otherwise. She looked at him with surprise.

"Keitaro?"

"… Konbanwa." He scratched his head.

"Konbanwa."

"May I come in?"

She looked hesitant for a moment. But then she smiled, a good-natured expression that took Keitaro completely by surprise. "Sure."

He pulled himself up and sat gently on the floor. Naru was sitting on a futon, already dressed in her pajamas. Liddo-kun was sitting next to her as she unbraided her hair.

"I…" Naru and Keitaro said at once.

Keitaro chuckled. "I'm sorry, go ahead."

Naru smiled again. "No please, I insist."

Again, he was shocked. Usually she would speak first. "All right… I'm sorry," Keitaro said gently. "I mean, tonight's been crazy, and I know you've been through a lot, so I just wanted to say… gomen, Narusegawa." He bowed hesitantly.

"I forgive you."

Yet again, he was taken aback. This was strange. "… You're not going to hit me?"

She giggled. "Why would I do that? You already showed me you could block it."

He blushed despite himself. "Aw, well… that was lucky, I think."

"Keitaro?"

"Hm?"

"Kiss me."

Keitaro spluttered. "W-W-What?"

Naru looked away shyly, something he had never really seen her do before. When she spoke next, it was very softly, and with a note of supplication. "Just once. Please."

"I…" A million thoughts were running through his head. But he looked at the girl in front of him, and it all became clear. "… Okay."

She leaned forward. He leaned forward.

She came closer. He came closer.

She closed her eyes. He closed his eyes.

And then slowly, very slowly, their lips met.

When they pulled away from each other, it was as if a veil had suddenly been lifted. Keitaro began to chuckle, and Naru followed suit, giggling like the young girl she was. Soon they were laughing happily, all of their worries forgotten completely in the pleasantness of the moment.

"Well… that was nice."

"Yes, it was."

*******

Shinobu backed away from the door.

She ran away as fast as she could. By the time she got back to her room, she was hyperventilating, and a cold sweat dripped from every pore.

She didn't know what to think.

This shouldn't have surprised her. Sempai and Naru always seemed to be destined for each other. How could she be so naive, to assume that she could take that away from them? There was the chance that this was an honest mistake, but how mistaken could you get with two people kissing each other? Looking back, she couldn't even believe she entertained the thought of anything happening between her and Keitaro. It was a childish dream, and it was inevitable that they would eventually wake up.

She couldn't even cry.

There didn't seem to be any choice left now.

Making the final decision in her mind, Shinobu slowly picked up the phone.

*******

Keitaro woke up cheerfully, smashing his alarm clock with his fist.

Sunlight shined through the blinds, filling his room with warmth. "Ahh, what a beautiful day!" he remarked to no one in particular. Stretching, he stood up and got ready for the day, whistling a happy tune.

Everything was settling back to normal, it seemed. And now he could have a nice, normal morning, stress-free. He would go to the kitchen, eat Shinobu's delicious breakfast, and handle the day with gusto.

Yes sir, Keitaro thought. It was going to be a great day.

But as he strolled toward the kitchen, he realized that there was something wrong.

There was no smell of food, for one. And something just didn't feel very right.

He entered the kitchen, finding to his dismay that it was empty.

Hm. This was odd.

But maybe Shinobu was sleeping in today.

That was fine; he would make breakfast for everyone instead. Shinobu tended to overwork herself anyway. Keitaro quickly made a breakfast of rice, eggs and fish, setting up the table with a flourish.

Then he decided to go to Shinobu's room to wake her up. She was in for a pleasant surprise this morning. He opened up the door cheerfully.

"Rise and shine, Shinobu-chan! Today's a new…"

It was empty.

"… day. Shinobu-chan?"

The only thing in the otherwise-barren room was a white envelope. On it was written the words 'To Everyone,' in hiragana. He stared at it for a long time, as if it were an alien life form of some kind.

No matter what he did, he couldn't shake off the bad feeling that suddenly descended over him, as he bent down and picked up the envelope. Keitaro opened it, and calmly began scanning the contents.

**By the time you read this, I'll be at the airport, waiting for a plane to Okinawa. I've decided to move there with my parents, and I will stay with them indefinitely. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused. I won't trouble anyone any more.

Sayonara.

 -Shinobu**

After he was done, he gently placed the envelope and letter on the floor.

Then he ran through every room of the house, shouting at the top of his lungs like a madman.

"HEY! Everybody WAKE UP! Shinobu-chan's GONE!!"

"What?" Motoko exclaimed, her brush stuck in her hair.

"Ara ara, you mean she left?" Mutsumi came out with Tama-chan on her head.

"Where?" Kaolla Su emerged from her room, banana in hand.

"She's going on a flight to Okinawa to move back in with her parents! I don't understand why, though… everything seemed fine. She's probably already gone now."

"What do you mean?" Naru was fully dressed and groomed.

"I don't know when she left this letter, and I don't know when the flight is…" he sighed, slumping against the wall. "I don't think we can do anything now, except maybe try to call her when she arrives."

Naru gave Keitaro a solid punch on the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Are you just going to give up now? Without even trying?" She frowned, crossing her arms. "Baka Keitaro! Be a man and go to her!"

He was speechless. "Naru-chan…"

She smiled supportively, giving him a wink.

"Go to her, baka-kun. She's waiting for you."

Keitaro stayed silent for a moment, lost in thought. Then he straightened up.

"Su-chan, can you give me a search for all the flights going to Okinawa in a three-hour range?"

Behind him, Naru beamed.

"Hai!" Kaolla disappeared back into her room, and came out five seconds later with a sheet of paper. "There's one in thirty minutes!"

"Thirty? I can't make it in time!"

There was a sudden gust of wind, as Seta walked through the doors of the Hinata Inn. It was a moment of serendipity, as everyone stopped and turned toward him in surprise.

He bowed. "Oh, ohayo minna-san! I was wondering if Haruka was in?"

"Papa!" Sarah jumped up to greet her father. "Can you give us a ride to the airport, pretty please?"

He smiled, taking out his keys. "Sure sweetheart! How fast do you want me to drive?"

"Really really really fast!"

"Okay!" He laughed good-naturedly. "Over two hundred it is!"

"Come on, Keitaro!" Sarah waved him over. "Let's go!"

Keitaro gulped, then nodded. "Hai."

Naru threw on a jacket, taking the paper from Su-chan and slipping on her shoes. "I'm coming with you!"

"Oh good, I won't die alone."

"What?"

"Nothing."

With a quick goodbye, they were off.

*******

Keitaro had to fight to keep his stomach from spilling out of his mouth. Seta was obviously having a good time, laughing and making bad jokes with Sarah as he broke traffic law after traffic law, going the wrong way down one-way streets and making sharp turns over ramps at breakneck speed.

"Hey Sarah-chan, did you hear the one about the magic businessman?"

"What?"

"He walked down the street and turned into a building! Hahahaha!"

"… Just drive, Papa."

They made it there in ten minutes flat.

Sarah looked around. She pointed a finger, calling out.

"Look! There she is!"

Seta's van came to a dramatic, screeching stop in front of the Okinawa air terminal. Sure enough, Shinobu was there, trying to load an enormous suitcase onto a tiny cart. She seemed very small at that moment, struggling with her luggage all by herself.

Keitaro remembered this scene from a long time ago. He saw the little girl who went up the steps to the Hinata Inn with that exact same suitcase. And now as a young woman, she was leaving with it. He wanted very much to just leap out of the car and help her. But that would've meant her being gone for good. Keitaro didn't want that.

He reached for the knob to roll down the window, but hesitated. What if this wasn't the right thing to do? Shinobu may have been shy and soft-spoken while at the Hinata Inn, but when it came down to it, she made her own decisions. She had already made her choice, and to try and stop her now would just make the parting more painful for all of them.

And who was he to try and stop this? He had promised a girl almost two decades ago that he would find her, and that they would be happy together at Tokyo U. Was he willing to just abandon that memory, forsake that old, sacred promise? And for what? He asked himself. Shinobu was very young, and her feelings were bound to change in the space of a heartbeat… What if they already had, and Keitaro was just blind?

Shinobu stumbled, dropping the suitcase.

Keitaro was about to roll down the window, but Seta honked the horn.

"Oi, Shinobu-chan! Fancy meeting you here!"

She jumped in surprise, and guiltily turned around to face the source of that voice.

"Seta-san…?" Her eyes widened when she saw Keitaro. "Sempai!"

Then Naru stuck her head out. "Shinobu-chan!"

Shinobu froze.

This was bad.

Abandoning her luggage, Shinobu made a run for it.

"Wow," Seta remarked. "She never struck me as the kind of person who could just up and go like that. What's going on, anyway?"

"I'll tell you later!" Keitaro opened the door and jumped out of the car, running through the double doors.

"Okay!" Seta smiled. "Good luck, kid." He turned to Sarah and Naru. "So, who wants breakfast?"

"Ooh, me!"

"…"

*******

Immediately upon entering, Keitaro faced a problem.

"… Which direction did she go?" He cursed himself for not paying attention at the most crucial moment. Desperately running through his odds, he began to run left.

"Wrong way!"

He turned around to see Rieko outside. She was sitting on her blue Vespa, which hummed patiently on the sidewalk.

"Rieko-san, what're you doing here?"

"That doesn't matter right now!" With that, the doors opened, and she drove into the terminal. People immediately began running away in fright.

Keitaro's jaw dropped.

"What're you waiting for?" She glared, putting on her sunglasses. "Hop on!"

He obeyed. She revved her engine, and hit the gas.

*******

"I have a question!" Keitaro yelled.

"What?" Rieko asked.

"Why are you doing this?"

The scooter sped through the airport, causing all manner of havoc in its wake. People literally dived out of the way of its path, and security was in an uproar, trying to figure out what to do with such a bizarre situation.

"Because it's the fastest way to get to the gate!"

"No, not that! I mean why are you doing… this? Why are you helping me?"

"Because…" Rieko skidded to a stop, facing the escalator. The people on said escalator looked at her with utter fright. She smirked, turning toward the stairs instead.

"… I want to see you two happy! Now *hang on*!"

Without any further warning, she slammed the gas, pulling up at the same time.

Keitaro almost lost his grip as the scooter impossibly went up the stairs at thirty miles per hour, terrorizing the pedestrians who ran to the handle rails to avoid the rampaging vehicle of doom.

This, he mused as they zoomed up the stairs, was so surreal.

The Vespa flew near the end of the stairs, landing at the top with a dramatic crash.

Keitaro began breathing again. He looked around; they were at the security check just before the gateways. The security guards present were too bewildered to do anything at the moment, but he didn't know how long that was going to last.

"This is as far as I can take you. It's all you from here on out."

The voice came over the intercom: "Gate 23-A, Gate 23-A… Boarding may now begin at Gate 23-A."

Rieko took off her sunglasses. "That's yours. Now go; I'll distract the guards."

Keitaro stepped off the motor scooter. "Thank you, Rieko-san… How can I ever repay you for this?"

She grabbed his head, pulling him into a quick, passionate kiss.

The blue-haired girl smiled sadly, tenderly caressing Keitaro's cheek.

"Just be happy, sempai. That's all I could ever want."

"Sempai? Wait, Rieko—"

"Sayonara." She revved her engine, taunting the security guards as they approached. "All right, you want a piece of me? Come and *get* me!" Rieko drove off, chased by a herd of security and staff.

Keitaro didn't wait. Using the chaos of the moment to his advantage, he jumped over the table at the security check and made a run for Gate 23.

*******

"Gate 23-A, Gate 23-A… Boarding may now begin at Gate 23-A."

Shinobu looked up at the gate entrance.

This was it. She stared down at her ticket.

She regretted leaving her luggage behind like that, but she couldn't bear to face Keitaro and Naru. What would they say, anyway? "It's okay, Naru and I forgive you for having a crush on me"?

She shook her head as she stood up.

No. She wasn't going to take that. The years she spent at the Hinata Inn were unarguably the best of her life, and she would miss Kaolla Su, and Haruka, and Motoko, and even Kitsune… But this was it. This was the end.

Just as she was about to walk toward the confirmation desk, however, she heard a shout.

"Shinobu-chan!"

Shinobu turned around. Keitaro was running toward her.

"Urashima-sempai…?"

She made a dash for the table.

"No, Shinobu wait!" Keitaro cried. She ignored him, quickly getting her ticket torn and running into the plane. "Damn it!"

A receptionist blocked his path. "I'm sorry sir, but you need a ticket to get past this point…"

"But I need to get to that girl right now! It's a matter of life and death!"

"I understand, but you can't do that without a ticket…"

Keitaro kneed him in the groin. The receptionist crumpled over like a rag doll.

He bowed respectfully. "Please excuse my rudeness." He sprinted down the hallway to the airplane.

*******

Just as Shinobu was about to enter the plane, she felt a hand grabbing her arm.

"Huh…?" She turned around and gasped. "Sempai!"

"Shinobu-chan…" Keitaro suddenly found himself with nothing to say, all the good speeches he had planned in his head withering away in the heat of the moment. So he just said what came to him. "You can't go!"

Was that regret in her eyes? Keitaro wondered. He could barely hear her response.

"I'm sorry, sempai… but I have to. I can't stay at the Hinata Inn any more. Tell Naru-sempai that I'm sorry for causing her so much pain. And…" She wiped her eyes, trying to kill the lump that was quickly growing in her throat. "I wish you both the best of luck. Goodbye, Urashima-sempai." She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't budge.

"But Shinobu…" Keitaro tightly closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. This was it. This was his future. "Shinobu! Please… I don't want you to leave!"

Shinobu turned around again, her face wreathed in sorrow. "Sempai, just let me go. Please."

"But that's just it, I *can't*let you go!" She looked away, and Keitaro took her by the shoulders. "Shinobu-chan, don't turn away. Don't you understand that we need you?"

A bittersweet smile formed on Shinobu's lips. "I'm sure… that you could cook and clean without me, Urashima-sempai. Everything will be okay. You'll see."

Keitaro winced. "That isn't what I meant." He shook her shoulders lightly. "Look at me, Shinobu! I'm telling you that we— that I need you! I want you to be here!"

"But why?"

It was a simple question, but Keitaro could suddenly feel the weight of the world, of fate, resting on his shoulders. Shinobu continued, her voice slowly filling with a sadness that broke Keitaro's heart. "For the longest time, it's been Narusegawa-sempai, or Otohime-san. They're both very pretty girls, sempai. Pretty, and smart, and grown-up... You should look for them, they might be waiting for—"

He took her face into his hands. She looked up in surprise, and she found a tense, nervous, but determined face looking back at her.

"You're right, Shinobu-chan. Those two are very pretty, and smart, and grown-up… But the truth is… I mean…" He stopped, took a breath, and tried again. "That is, I'm trying to say that…" He tried to stop again, perhaps to try and catch his thoughts before they poured out. But he was past the point of no return now. "The truth is, I just don't love them like I love you!"

"… What?"

He was about to ask himself the same thing.

What the hell was he doing? But once he began, Keitaro couldn't stop himself.

"Do you understand now? I need you because I love you, Shinobu! So please… don't leave. Stay here, with me, at the Hinata Inn. We can be happy together, make memories together! Just you and me. I promise." He took a deep breath, silently praying that the silence that followed wasn't a bad sign.

Tears began flowing before she even realized she was crying. Shinobu wondered if this was real. She prayed that this wasn't just a cruel joke or a dream, one that she would awaken from any minute now. She touched her mouth with her hand, just to make sure.

"You… love me…?"

Keitaro nodded solemnly, with an uncertain but loving smile on his face. He couldn't believe he said it himself, but there it was.

"Yes."

"But, what about Naru-sempai…" She frowned with uncertainty. "I saw you two kissing the other night."

Keitaro paused. "Oh." Then he laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"That was…" He chuckled. "… A goodbye kiss, I suppose."

"Oh." Shinobu nodded slowly. "… Prove it."

"Nani?"

"You heard me." Shinobu suddenly smiled, a beaming, happy look. "Prove that you love me! Kiss me, Keitaro!"

He simply stared at her.

She turned bright red in embarrassment.

"Gomen… was that… the wrong thing to say?"

"No no, it's just that… " He smiled. "… You called me Keitaro."

With that, he took her in his arms and gave her an affectionate kiss. This time, Shinobu returned the favor, getting on the tips of her toes and reaching up to wind her fingers through his hair.

At that moment, it was almost as if the entire world had changed.

Even if it did, Keitaro didn't care. He loved Shinobu, and nothing was going to keep them apart any more.

They abruptly stopped when they heard the sound of applause.

The flight attendants and some of the passengers stood at the entrance, clapping and cheering.

"Oh, that was so romantic…"

"Kiss her again!"

"Beautiful!"

Both Keitaro and Shinobu turned a deep shade of red.

They laughed nervously, scratching their heads.

He took her hand.

"Come on, Shinobu. Let's go home."

*******

"Shinobu-chan!" Haruka called out from the teahouse as she and Keitaro went up the steps to the Hinata Inn. She handed her a letter. "This is for you. Your cousin left it for you before she went. Welcome back, by the way." With a wink, she went back inside.

Shinobu stared at the envelope curiously.

Opening it, she removed its contents and began to read.

**Dear Shinobu-chan,

Well it looks like everything's okay now, since you're reading this letter.

As you may or may not have noticed by now, I've left the Hinata Inn. I've packed up my scooter, and I'm going to disappear. Sorry I haven't left any return addresses or phone numbers, but they wouldn't be very dependable anyway. To be honest, you and I, we're probably not going to see each other again for a while.

These last few weeks have been pretty fun. I'm just sorry I couldn't spend more time with you. But you want to know something? I think you're a good kid, with a good head on your shoulders. So if your parents give you any trouble, just tell them to stick it, because you know where your real home is: with your friends, and especially with Keitaro (yes, I know about that too).

There are so many things I wish I could tell you.

But if I had to give you only one piece of advice… just be HAPPY, Shinobu-chan.

The future's never set in stone. Things change, and things take you by surprise. But just take it all in stride, okay?

You're going places, I can tell. Just study hard and never give up, and pretty soon you'll find your life sweeter than any of your most beautiful dreams.

Trust me.

Love,

Rieko

PS: I left something for you. It's on your bed.**

"What does it say?" Keitaro asked.

Shinobu didn't respond for a while.

"Shinobu-chan?"

"I'm sorry, excuse me!" She ran inside the house, kicking off her shoes and heading straight to her room.

On her bed, wrapped in a big sky-blue ribbon, was a black electric guitar.

It was Rieko's.

Carefully, Shinobu picked it up and examined it.

On the back, carefully etched in Kanji, were the weathered words:__

'Maehara Shinobu' 

Below it, slightly newer-looking and in Hiragana, was:

'Happy 16th Birthday'

Running her hand delicately over the markings, Shinobu smiled.

"Arigato, Rieko-san."

*******

Keitaro was taking a long bath in his designated barrel.

It had been a long day, and he felt entitled to a little bit of relaxation now that everything was pretty much over and done with. Looking at Tama-chan, who was flying next to him, he smiled. "This is the life, huh?"

"Miyuu!" the turtle chirped happily.

He heard the door slide open downstairs, and realized that the girls were all taking their evening bath as well. He turned away so they wouldn't think he was peeping, but he couldn't help but overhear their conversation as they talked:

"Interesting." Motoko said as she slipped into the water. "And then you left the airport and went home?"

"Hai." Shinobu nodded, luxuriating in the hot spring. "That's everything."

"Well that was certainly an exciting story!" Mutsumi said, removing her towel.

"It's a little anticlimactic, if you ask me." Naru quipped nonchalantly, sitting on a rock.

"What do you mean?" Shinobu asked.

"You didn't tell him your feelings!" Kaolla Su said.

"Yes I did!" Shinobu protested, blushing. "I asked him to kiss me, didn't I?"

"That's just not the same, though." Kitsune said, running her hands over the bath water. "You have to have a dramatic declaration of your love, otherwise it's just missing that 'oomph,' ne?"

"Right!" Naru smiled. "So, Shinobu, tell us now. How do you feel about Keitaro?"

Shinobu hesitated. "Well, I…"

Keitaro turned around, his attention rapt.

Was she going to say it?

"Baka!" Naru yelled up at him suddenly. "Don't eavesdrop, you little spy!"

"Ack!" He panicked, turning away guiltily. "Gomen, gomen!"

"That's right." She smiled, going back to Shinobu.

Whispering so only they would hear, Naru said quietly,

"He's still listening… I know him. Go ahead, Shinobu-chan."

There was a long moment of silence. Shinobu blushed.

"I love Keitaro…" She smiled shyly as she looked down at the water. "I love him very much."

"Awww!" Kitsune gave her a playful splash. "You're so cute, Shinobu-chan!"

Shinobu turned redder, prompting a round of laughs. She slowly joined in despite herself, a fit of giggles that seemed to lighten everything around them.

Then on the spur of the moment, Shinobu turned around.

She smiled brightly, waving her arms.

"Keitaro, did you hear me? Aishiteru (I love you)!"

As Keitaro sank into his tub, away from everyone else's view, he smiled.

She said it.

He looked one last time at the girl down there, the blue-haired one who stole his heart. There she was, the most beautiful person in his entire life. And she was smiling and laughing as if she hadn't a care in the world, calling his name blissfully:

"Keitaro… Daisuki (I really like you)!"

As he closed his eyes peacefully to enjoy his first moment of peace in a long time, Keitaro swore that as long as he could help it, he and Shinobu would be this happy for the rest of their lives.

And then it all faded into a beautiful silence.

THE END


	9. Epilogue

Rieko walked along the outskirts of the town, where the little village of the Hinata Inn and the rest of the city mingled and merged. The street lamps buzzed to life as she passed them, singing their electric song of nighttime and the slumber of the world. Her blue Vespa slowly disappeared into the distance as she walked away from it, letting the lantern light shine on it idly like still water in a dying pond. Normally she'd want to get on it and just ride away, to feel the cool rush of the night air against her skin.

But not tonight.

Tonight she just felt like taking a walk.

It was a nice change of pace, and it ended her experiences on a calm, peaceful note, just as they had begun.

Truthfully, she had no idea if what she did had any impact. Everything seemed okay now; that much was true. But there were no guarantees after that. What kept fate from laughing at her efforts? What kept cruel chance from ripping everything apart just as it seemed like it was going to work out? Nothing did, and that was the point. From now on, Rieko would just have to accept whatever came.

She walked over the bridge, feeling the warm fog lapping against her legs as it quickly obscured the ground. Three figures emerged from the other side of the bridge, the old robed men who came and went with the fog. Their faces were as inscrutable as ever, as they approached the blue-haired girl.

The first turned to the second. "Did she accomplish what she set out to do?"

Rieko nodded. "Hai."

The second turned to the first. "Is her time here finally finished?"

Again, Rieko nodded. "Hai."

Both old men turned to the third. "Perhaps it was a job well done."

The third old man looked directly at Rieko. "… I'd say it was."

Rieko bowed respectfully. "Arigato gozaimasu."

With that, the first and second old men turned around, returning in the direction from which they came. As they walked, the sound of bells rang deeply through the night air. They disappeared into the fog, shades joining the mysterious shadows. The third man took a step to follow them.

Then he turned back, beckoning with one hand.

"Are you ready to go, Shinobu-chan?"

The girl who had called herself Maehara Rieko hesitated. She took one last look behind her, at the Hinata Inn. It seemed so far away now. For a fraction of a moment, she was tempted to run back. There was still so much she wanted to do, so much she wanted to see, and touch, and experience for herself.

But there was no point in stories if they didn't end eventually.

With a final, wistful smile, she decided to just let the past be.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

The girl who had called herself Rieko walked alongside the old man, slowly disappearing into the mist at the end of the bridge. With the familiar tolling of bells, the fog also disappeared, leaving only the bridge and the moonlight behind.


	10. Bonus, Opening and Ending Sequences

Opening Theme:
    
    Under the Blue Sky
    
    **This is a montage image sequence. Each image described in parentheses accompanies the lyrics before it.**
    
    Furikaereba ima demo soko ni
    
    ((The Hinata Inn in springtime, with cherry blossoms floating in the wind. The title appears—"Love Hina: Aishite"))
    
    Oikaketeta mirai ga atta
    
    ((The side of a blue Vespa scooter is visible, zooming across the city bridge. The water from the river sparkles in the noonday sun))
    
    Boku no kokoro ni aru taisetsuna mono
    
    ((The steps the Hinata Inn, as people fade in and out of the picture: first Keitaro with a wave at the top, then Naru with a big smile below him, then Mutsumi with Tama-chan on her head, and then Kitsune at the bottom, her hand in a V-sign))
    
    Mada mienai ao to
    
    ((Continuing: Sarah and Kaolla Su, Motoko standing calmly, Seta and Haruka standing together…))
    
    Nagareru kumo ni negatta
    
    ((… and finally Shinobu, smiling happily and waving, as if she is beckoning the viewer up the stairs. The camera quickly flies up the stairs, revealing a girl at the top standing next to the blue Vespa))
    
    ((At the guitar before the chorus, the girl taking off a helmet, shaking her blue hair with a smile, and revealing herself as Rieko))
    
    Under the blue sky
    
    ((Keitaro and Shinobu on a walk through the city, looking happy))
    
    Ano hi bokura ga egaita yume kara
    
    ((Shinobu and Naru are lying on the floor of Shinobu's room, as the picture slowly spins. Naru is holding Liddo-kun, and Shinobu is fingering a gold locket around her neck. The picture changes into one of a stuffed kappa, sitting in Motoko's room))
    
    Samenai you ni
    
    ((Haruka takes a contented drag from her cigarette, standing next to the Hinata Tea House))
    
    Tomaranai you ni
    
    ((Rieko is in the kitchen, skillfully flipping a dumpling on a frying pan. She's wearing Shinobu's "Cabot" apron, or a similar one. She turns to the camera and smiles))
    
    Under the blue sky
    
    ((Fade into a closeup of Shinobu smiling, which fades into one of Keitaro smiling))
    
    Kagayaki nagara aruiteyukou yo
    
    ((A montage of chaos—Kitsune splashing beer, Motoko striking a target and blowing it up, Kaolla Su riding her mechanical horse through the house))
    
    Owaranai tabi wa
    
    ((Rieko pushes Keitaro toward Shinobu)
    
    Tsuzuku
    
    ((He trips clumsily… and he and Shinobu lock lips as he falls))
    
    ((Ending refrain: A slowly panning-out picture of the Hinata Inn again, this time in fall. With the last note, the entire cast fades into the picture, as if posing for a photograph. Most importantly, Keitaro and Shinobu are standing at the front, holding hands.))
    
    Ending Theme:
    
    Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing****
    
    **This is a montage image sequence. Each image described in parentheses accompanies the lyrics before it.**
    
    ((opening refrain—
    
    A slowly spinning picture of Shinobu sleeping in bed, in shades of blue and purple))
    
    Kanjooteki ni 
    
    Naru no wa kitto
    
    ((The living room of the Hinata Inn, empty in the afternoon))
    
    Anata ga suki dakara
    
    ((The kitchen, around the evening, empty and dark))
    
    Jibun no koto wo
    
    ((A rightward pan of Naru's room)) 
    
    Miushinau hodo
    
    ((A leftward pan of Keitaro's room))
    
    Muchuu ni nareru hito
    
    ((A pan of Shinobu's room, focusing slowly on a journal on her desk with a heart drawn on it))
    
    Love is a many-splendored thing, aitakute
    
    ((A picture of Kitsune grinning, making a V-sign and holding a can of beer))
    
    Kokoro ni hane ga haeta you
    
    ((The picture morphs into one of Kitsune obviously drunk and stumbling, still smiling))
    
    Anata ga omou ijoo ni
    
    ((A picture of Motoko up on the roof, practicing))
    
    Anata no mono na no
    
    ((The picture morphs into one of Motoko smiling slightly, a target split in half, as Kaolla and Sarah cheer in the background))
    
    Kanshooteki ni
    
    Naru no wa kitto
    
    ((A panning-out picture of a depressed Naru, walking alone in the morning))
    
    Anata ga suki dakara
    
    ((A panning-out picture of Naru again, this time in her room, staring at a blank notebook. The depressed expression hasn't changed))
    
    Kinou to chigau
    
    Kaze no kaori ni
    
    ((Rieko is sitting on the rooftop, her electric guitar in her lap. She's looking up, and she looks nostalgic.))
    
    Mune wo akaku someru
    
    ((The picture pans upward to show the full moon, then fades into white emanating from the moon))
    
    Love is a many-splendored thing, koishikute
    
    ((Haruka and Seta are sitting in the tea house, sipping tea and looking at each other))
    
    Doko made mo omoi wa habataku
    
    ((The picture changes to show them laughing together))
    
    Yuubae toki wo tometai
    
    ((A picture of the kappa up on the mountain of cucumbers, eating happily))
    
    Anata no tonari de
    
    ((A closeup of Tama-chan, who is bathing in the kappa's head))
    
    Tatta ima no
    
    Keshiki wo
    
    ((A falling cherry blossom against a black background))
    
    Hitotsu zutsu fuuji komete
    
    ((It lands on a picture of Shinobu, which ripples into blurry colors like water))
    
    Eien to iu na no rakuen ni
    
    ((A sad picture of Naru))
    
    Saratte hoshii no
    
    ((The picture falls, and as it does so it shines, showing a picture of Mutsumi for a split second. Then it shatters))
    
    ((Middle refrain—
    
    A picture of Shinobu and Keitaro in front of the stove in the kitchen, looking at each other. They're both wearing cooking aprons.  
    
    The picture changes to a panning-out picture of a white birthday cake, which slowly loses pieces until it's completely gone, leaving only the heart-shaped plate with a picture of Keitaro and Shinobu together))
    
    Love is a many-splendored thing, aitakute
    
    ((A picture of holding hands))
    
    Kokoro ni hane ga haeta you
    
    ((Shinobu and Keitaro looking at each other. They're both blushing.))
    
    Anata ga omou ijoo ni
    
    ((A picture of a cup of iced coffee on a café table, with two straws))
    
    Anata no mono na no
    
    ((The same picture, but now the cup is empty))
    
    Love is a many-splendored thing, setsunakute
    
    ((A picture of Keitaro's desk, where there's just a closed golden locket))
    
    Naitarishita no wa hajimete
    
    ((Same picture, but now the locket is open, showing Keitaro on the left side and no one on the right))

Anata ni aete hontoo no

((Same picture, but now Shinobu is occupying the right side of the locket))

Watashi ni nareta no

((A prayer scroll that says "Destiny" in kanji flies up into the bright sunlight in the midst of cherry blossoms))

((ending refrain—

A Polaroid picture of the main Love Hina cast at the airport with Rieko, panning over everyone's unique expressions. Shinobu and Keitaro are standing at the front, shyly together. And then beginning with Haruka, everyone slowly fades out of the picture, one person at a time, until it's only Shinobu, Keitaro, and Rieko standing by her scooter.

Keitaro and Shinobu disappear together.

The background in the picture changes to the Hinata Inn in springtime, with cherry blossoms everywhere. Rieko is the only one there.

Then, slowly, as the music dims, Rieko fades out. Finally, Rieko's scooter and the Hinata Inn fade to black.))


End file.
